Food trucks are a familiar sight in most major cities these days. From tacos to schnitzel to Korean barbecue, you can feast on just about any type of cuisine prepared in and served from the side of a parked vehicle.
Even in the dead of winter, ice cream trucks are a familiar sight in New York City and you may have noticed that many of them look quite similar. So similar, in fact, that a Brooklyn judge has now banned some copycat trucks from the streets.
Last May, the owner of the long-established Mister Softee brand of ice cream trucks sued the operator of “Master Softee” trucks for trademark infringement. Copycat Master Softee didn’t take its trucks off the streets—they not only kept on running, they brazenly continued to sport the same colors and decals as Mister Softee trucks. Cue the customer confusion.
This week, federal Judge Joan Azrack issued a permanent injunction against Master Softee’s owner, Gus Toufos, ordering his trucks off the street and requiring him to pay Mister Softee’s legal fees.
The most familiar thing about Mister Softee might be his music (in the video below). What you might not know is that that catchy tune actually has lyrics: “Listen for my store on wheels ding-a-ling down the street”, etc., etc. It’s based on a song called “The Whistler and His Dog,” written by Les Waas.
What surprisingly similar food trucks have you noticed in your travels?
