Scoopin' in Style: Millie's Ice Cream Truck

Known for their creative scoops made from farm-fresh ingredients, Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream is a beloved ice cream shop enjoyed by Pittsburghers of all ages.

Millie’s Ice Cream was founded by Chad and Lauren Townsend in 2014. Hailing from Westmoreland County, Chad began his illustrious foray into the culinary world as most chefs do—washing dishes. Before opening Millie’s, Chad was the executive chef at Salt of the Earth and also worked at Eleven and the two Michelin-starred Yoann Conte. As the resident Happiness Curator, Lauren handles everything from finances to branding and building the entire customer experience at Millie’s.

With over 15,000 Instagram followers at the time of this article, Millie’s Ice Cream currently has two store locations in Shadyside and Market Square, along with a commercial manufacturing facility and tasting room in Homestead. But the self-proclaimed “baby” of the family is definitely their ice cream truck, Van Morrison.

Seren-dip-itous Timing

Shortly after launching Millie’s second store location, Chad was inspired by the idea of getting an ice cream truck. An ice cream truck would allow Millie’s to reach more neighborhoods across Pittsburgh, as well as meet their customers and ice cream enthusiasts directly where they work, live, and play.

Around this time, Chad was connected to Honeycomb Credit through the Shadyside Chamber of Commerce, and just a few days before their scheduled meeting, Chad stumbled upon an online listing for a 1974 Morrison Bedford ice cream van for sale. Built in the U.K., the van evoked vintage European charm and childhood whimsy.

It was the perfect vehicle for what the team was envisioning.

“We wanted something that people could see in action and interact with,” says Chad.

But the truck was a fixer-upper, and it would need renovations before it could hit the road: some repainting to match Millie’s signature pink-and-white brand and a few mechanical upgrades to become fully road-worthy. Buying the truck would also make a dent in Millie’s cash reserves. 

Meeting with the Honeycomb team helped Chad connect the dots—running a Honeycomb campaign would not only help them raise funds, but also build excitement around the truck even before its launch.