Mobile Softee facts for kids
Mobile Softee (which means "ice cream truck" in Chinese) is a famous ice cream seller in Hong Kong. They use special ice cream trucks to sell their treats. The company that owns Mobile Softee is called Ng Enterprises Ltd.
Contents
The Story of Mobile Softee
How Mobile Softee Started
The idea for Mobile Softee came from a man named Ho King-yuen. He visited London, England, and saw the "Mister Softee" ice cream trucks there. He liked them so much that he wanted to bring the idea to Hong Kong.
When he returned, he made a plan with two friends. They brought the very first ice cream truck from England to Hong Kong. It started selling ice cream in 1970, just before Chinese New Year. Mr. Ho later passed the business to Ng Enterprises. He lived in Perth, Australia, until he passed away on January 23, 2025.
Early Days and Name Change
When Mobile Softee first opened, the ice cream was very cheap. A soft serve cone cost only $0.05!
The red, white, and blue vans also started appearing in Shanghai, China, in 1994. By August 2005, there were 18 of these vans in Shanghai.
In 2010, the company in Hong Kong changed its name from Mister Softee to Mobile Softee. This happened because they no longer had the right to use the "Mister Softee" name.
Where Mobile Softee Works
The main office for Mobile Softee is located in a place called Fo Tan in Hong Kong.
The Famous Ice Cream Vans
Why the Vans Are Old
The Hong Kong Government stopped giving out new licenses for street sellers, called "hawkers," in 1978. Also, the old licenses cannot be moved to new vehicles. This means that Mobile Softee has to keep using its older trucks.
The company has 14 vans. These vans drive around Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories.
What's Inside the Vans
Each Mobile Softee van is painted in bright blue, red, and white colors. By law, every van must have a soft serve ice cream machine, a sink for washing, and two refrigerators. As the vans drive around, they play a famous song called The Blue Danube.
What They Sell
Mobile Softee vans sell only four types of treats. These treats have been the same since the very beginning:
- Delicious soft serve ice cream
- A nutty drumstick (an ice cream cone shaped like a drumstick)
- Large cups, which are called "lotus cups" in Chinese
- Jumbo Orange, which is a type of orange sherbet
Usually, the soft serve ice cream is Vanilla flavor. But sometimes, around Chinese New Year, you might find strawberry soft serve!
Where to Find Them
You can often see Mobile Softee vans all over Hong Kong. On weekdays, they might be near schools and train stations. On weekends and holidays, they are often in busy tourist areas. These include Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Central, and Temple Street. Some of the best places to find a Mobile Softee truck now are Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, and outside IKEA near Sha Tin Train Station.
