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There was a time when the arrival of an ice cream bike would stop an entire neighbourhood in its tracks.
The unmistakable bells and music drifted down the lane, and then came the scramble as kids came bursting through screen doors, bare feet hitting sidewalks, quarters clutched in their little hands as they raced toward the ice cream man before he disappeared around the corner.
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For a lot of adults, the sound of an ice cream bike belongs to a bygone era, but for 10-year-old Gus Fandrich of Martensville, the magic is still very much alive. In fact, he’s the one bringing it down the street.
Gus Fandrich’s dad Jason helped him construct his one-of-a-kind ice cream bike. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Fandrich has started his own ice cream business, Gus’ Sweet Treats, and he delivers the goods the old-fashioned way. Well, sort of.
His mode of transportation is an e-bike, because this young entrepreneur is willing to embrace nostalgia without completely committing to the grueling cardio.
He said he doesn’t need much of a marketing campaign, as the local kids tend to take care of that part for him.
“I hear loads of screams from backyards sometimes,” he said proudly. “Most of the time, they can hear me from like blocks away.”
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The idea started at a Warman Wolverines hockey game.
Fandrich noticed a strange-looking bike on the concourse. It had a freezer on it. He had no idea what it was. His dad explained, and the inquisitive kid had a very simple question: “Can I do that?”
And just like that, Fandrich had his own business.
There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about the whole thing. In an age when just about everything can be ordered from a phone and delivered to your doorstep, Fandrich pedals into neighbourhoods with a freezer full of childhood favourites.
“We have Drumsticks, Reese’s, Klondike sandwiches, Oreo cookie sandwiches, SpongeBob and Minions treats, bubblegum snow cones, Creamsicles, Fudgesicles, Revellos, Kit Kat bars and Dole Whip,” he rattled off.
Gus Fandrich stocks a wide assortment of frozen treats. His personal favourite? The bubble gum snow cone. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Fandrich has already discovered one of the fundamental truths of modern-day business: cash isn’t exactly king anymore.
“Me and my dad were thinking like ‘Who carries cash these days anymore?’” he said. “I don’t want to lose out on sales, so we bought a Square.”
The 10-year-old entrepreneur has a business plan, a payment system and an increasingly busy route.
There is just one small, logistical concern. The battery on his electric bike does require regular charging, a task that sometimes slips his mind after a long afternoon of work.
“If the battery dies on me, it’s gonna be a long way to the car to load it up,” he lamented.
He says the business is already doing well, and he’s not exactly thinking small.
“I’m going to start out on this bike, then we’re going to build some more bikes and give it to little towns and cities.”
He said Saskatoon might eventually have one. Regina. Red Deer. Maybe Edmonton. And someday, if the money is there, he has an even bigger idea.
“I’m gonna go into an ice cream truck when I have enough cash,” he said.
When asked what he is planning to use his hard-earned money on, Gus Fandrich had a practical response: “College!” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
But for now, if you’re craving ice cream, Fandrich has a very ‘2026’ way of making sure you can find him. He has GPS tracking on his bike, and he posts the tracking link on his Facebook page.
Martensville has welcomed the little business with open arms. Kids listen for the bike. Parents flag Fandrich down. The freezer gets emptied and the streets echo with excited screams.
It’s hard not to smile at the sight.
For many of us, there was a time when summer was measured in bike rides, sticky fingers and the sound of an ice cream bell drifting down the street.
Decades later, Gus Fandrich is bringing that same little bit of summer magic back to the streets of his hometown, one sweet treat at a time.
Remember the scramble when you heard the ice cream bike coming? Ten-year-old entrepreneur Gus Fandrich is bringing that little bit of nostalgic summer magic back to Martensville. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
