When 15 year old Matthew Eliot pulls into a dock on Doe Lake, North of Huntsville, the crowds form quickly.
Matthew is the owner and creator of ‘The Ice Cream Float’, a touring ice cream boat that serves ice cream dock to dock.
“I wanted to have a job and I wanted to be on the water and have some fun, so I thought of selling ice cream on my boat,” said Matthew.
The young entrepreneur loads up and heads out on his pontoon boat four days per week. He has a generator and freezer on board to keep things cold.
The Ice Cream Float has sold more than 600 ice cream bars since the beginning of July.
His proud grandparents oversee the operation.
“I don’t care if he makes money or not,” said Les Eliot, Matthew’s grandfather “Just the opportunity to see him get excited about selling ice cream, especially when he has a good day, and I think today is going to be a good day, it’s nice and warm.”
Mathew often draws large crowds at public beaches and sells out.
“We hear positive things. We hear that some people wished he’d done it 30 years ago. They say they look forward to the ice cream. One woman keeps money on the end of her dock for when she knows Matthew’s coming. It’s very encouraging,” said Angela EliotMatthew’s grandmother.
The Ice Cream Float will be touring Doe Lake until the end of August. Matthew plans on operating the boat again next summer and may even expand the business to Lake Simcoe. He would like to try selling closer to home in Oro-Medonte.
