The Industrious Ice Cream Entrepreneurs

The cheerful jingles mean something different for everyone.

For children, they make their mouths water. For parents, they mean it's time to get out the wallet. And for Zach Cohen and Will Yolen, the all-too-catchy tunes mean a college education.

Cohen and Yolen, you see, have commandeered an ice cream truck and the songs that blare from the speakers of their freezer on wheels have become their summer soundtrack.

"I know them all by heart," Yolen said from the window of the truck. "I can always tell you which one's coming next."

Though the songs may get old, the job does not. Cohen and Yolen are using their entrepreneurial spirit and Fairfield County's love of ice cream to save up for their college education. They have emblazoned their truck (which was not actually commandeered but, rather, leased to them) and started a website with the clever moniker "Cones 4 College."

"Running from May to October, the Cones 4 College ice cream truck has regular routes throughout Ridgefield and is available for birthdays, pool parties, graduation parties, and other summer events," the website biography reads. "Cohen and Yolen are great, hard-working kids who want to provide their community with the classic goodies of summer and make your kid's party as fun as it can be."

That honest mission and the young men's hard work has lead them to success. Last week, the two said they were already close to paying off the cost of the truck for the summer, meaning the rest of the money they make will all be profit.

They said, as well, that residents have been extremely responsive to their efforts and have admitted to being a little more likely to splurge on their wares knowing the proceeds were going to a good cause.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that they got an icy cold Screwball or a refreshing SnoCone in return, either, nor has the especially warm summer hurt their business.

Cohen and Yolen run regular routes through Ridgefield, but stressed that they're trying to expand their business to host more birthday parties and events in neighboring towns, too. Last week they arrived fresh from supplying Ridgefield High School's custodial staff with midday refreshments and said they are more than willing to drive 30 to 45 minutes outside of Ridgefield to accommodate customers.

The pair can be reached on their respective cellphones (Zach at 203-448-8002 and Will at 203-837-7113) and their website, cones4college.com provides a good bit of information about their business.

So if you hear the sonorous sounds of an ice cream truck this summer, be sure to flag it down. And if the truck says "Cones 4 College" on the side, make sure to double your order.

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