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As the weather gets gradually warmer, people may start to wonder when the ice cream truck will start to make its rounds.
Joseph Kelley, local ice cream man, is ready and has been making rounds year-round for four years now. Kelley Kones Ice Cream truck serves more than just ice cream, though.
"It's amazing when anybody's excited to see you. Everybody's happy. I've only been doing it for four years, so I wasn't used to it. I have a sales background; I come from selling cars, and people usually aren't happy when they come to see me at the dealership. So, selling ice cream for the last four years, and having people excited to see me and want me to be around is definitely a good feeling," Kelley said.
That happiness comes from all ages, he says.
"The elderly people are just as excited as the kids. They always like to tell me that they remember when the ice creams were a nickel, and I have a hard time believing that they were ever a nickel. I wish they were a nickel," he joked.
Now, dairy products in general have increased in price by about 2% every year since 2003, according to the National Consumer Price Index.
"It's definitely not a nickel anymore like the old days," Kelley added.
There's only two places Kelley gets his product from in the state. One place is near the Sunport in Albuquerque. The other is on Menaul. Neither are a quick trip for Kelley, who lives and works in Rio Rancho most of the time. However, he does make trips into Albuquerque to serve those communities.
"It'd be nice if Rio Rancho had an ice cream distributor so I wouldn't have to drive by the airport every day," Kelley said.
Kelley could learn to make his own ice cream, but for now he just sells novelty, pre-packaged ice creams.
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The best part for Kelley, though, is being one of the only ice cream trucks in Rio Rancho.
"I've been in Rio Rancho since 1993, when I was 9 years old. I'm 40 now. So I've been here 31 years; I grew up here. We didn't have an ice cream man. When I was little up here in Rio Rancho, I remember the Schwan's truck coming. He was the closest thing to the ice cream that we had. We always got chocolate eclairs and stuff like that from him, but I never saw an ice cream truck," Kelley explained.
He says he is very familiar with the area and that gives him the edge to find the best spots to serve ice cream.
"Being able to go everywhere, wherever I'd like, I'm pretty familiar with Rio Rancho. I know which areas are out there in the boonies, if you will, like Mariposa. They really appreciate when somebody comes out there and remembers their neighborhood versus just, you know, hanging out in beautiful Cabezon all day. So I really like the independence of it and the interaction part that it gives me. I don't think there's anybody in Rio Rancho who interacts with everybody the way I do. I literally go from house to house, have close face-to-face interactions with everybody in the community. There's been times when neighbors have met in line, waiting for ice cream, and they've been living next to each other for four or five years, they've never met and they met at my truck. So that's pretty cool," Kelley said.
He says he loves people and being outside, so selling ice cream benefits his lifestyle choices. In an age when communication between people has been somewhat lost, Kelley says the truck breaks people out of the norm.
"Everybody loves ice cream. Everybody's got a sweet tooth. It's nostalgic for a lot of people, and it immediately brings them back to their childhood days. That's something you need in a community," he added.
Kelley says that's why he put his name on the truck, so people will know who he is and talk to him.
"I didn't put any tint on my truck, either, because I want everybody to be able to see me through their kitchen window and I want people to know that I'm a part of this community and I've been here and I plan on staying here," he said.
While Kelley makes his usual rounds, he also is open for booking. He has shown up to several events at schools, hospitals and retirement living spaces.
Call 505-620-1997 or email kelleykonesicecream505@gmail.com for more information.
