Soft-serve was born when Tom Carvel’s truck broke down on a hot summer day in 1929 and his ice cream started to melt. He hurried to sell what he could, realizing that instead of disliking the slightly softened ice cream, people wanted more. Tom Carvel kept right on selling, all summer long from his broken-down truck stationed in a parking lot and called the product “soft-serve.” He opened his first retail shop where his truck broke down, which has grown to more than 500 Carvel franchise locations in 25 states across the US. From soft-serve ice cream to Flying Saucer treats to signature ice cream cakes, Carvel Ice Cream Truck continues to lead the industry as “America’s Freshest Ice Cream.”