CALVERT — Steve Reisler pedals a specially-designed tricycle five to 10 miles a day on the Calvert Regional Park grounds whenever there is a lacrosse tournament there, which translates to approximately 10 times a year.
It is a good cardiovascular activity for him.
But the reason Reisler pedals that tricycle from spot to spot throughout the sprawling park is this: He peddles various ice cream treats, iced coffee and hot coffee to tournament attendees — an activity that is good for his wallet.
“It’s a side hustle,” Reisler qualified, before using a weightlifting term to acknowledge the workout benefit he reaps from trekking on the trike during his business outings. “I joke that I can skip ‘Leg Day’ tomorrow after a day here pedaling the tricycle.”
Twin Maples Ice Cream is the name of Reisler’s licensed mobile vending business, which falls under the umbrella of his Twin Maples Enterprises, and this is his fourth year. Twin Maples, which is named after the Reisler family farm in Calvert, is a limited venture for Reisler because only four to six tournaments are held at Calvert Regional Park in the summer and about four are scheduled in the fall. The park has 17 fields and each tournament draws more than 1,000 players, parents and coaches from various states.
Reisler has no desire to expand beyond Calvert Regional Park, a beautiful Cecil County Parks and Recreation venue that is one mile from his home, making the restocking of ice cream and other items convenient amid long days of tournament sales. He credits his wife, Courtney, for delivering resupply items to him and for “very graciously” allowing him work his side hustle, with the understanding that it wouldn’t grow into an “all-consuming” side job.
So how did Reisler, who has a day job in management, wind up pedaling a trike around a park to peddle ice cream and such?
“Whenever my daughter, Stephanie, would come from college, we would walk in the park and spitball ideas about starting a business. What would we call it? What would we sell?” Reisler recalled.
Knowing he did not want a lot of equipment, insurance and other business expenses, Reisler eventually ruled out operating a food truck and running a food stand.
“The idea was to make it as small as possible, make it as simple as possible, because it was going to be a side business,” Reisler said.
At some point, aware of how bustling the conveniently-located Calvert Regional Park is on tournament days, he concluded where he would conduct his side business. He started mulling over what he would sell.
“I kept thinking about the ice cream carts you see on the beach or on boardwalks,” Reisler said.
One day while surfing the internet, however, he “stumbled upon” an Oregon-based company that sells tricycles manufactured specifically for ice cream vendors. Called Icicle Tricycles, the company sells tricycles with ice chests attached to them.
Reisler recognized the practicality of a three-wheeled vending vehicle and bought one. He later recruited Julie Norona, who attends the same church as the Reislers — Grace Bible Chapel near Rising Sun — and she assisted in designing the Twin Maples business logo that adorns the tricycle’s ice chest.
“Other vendors are stationary, so they have to wait for the people to come to them. I’m not. I can go where the customers are. I can ride to the fields and sell to the parents on the sidelines — so they don’t have to miss their kids playing,” Reisler explained.
Reisler has developed a keen sense of when tournament games on the various fields will be ending, so he can pedal to those locations in time to sell to the thirsty and hungry players coming off the fields, as well as to their siblings and parents.
“I do loops around the park and try to get there when the teams are finishing up,” said Reisler, who starts each vending day in the early morning and finishes in the late afternoon.
As for the items he offers, Reisler has learned by trial-and-error during the past four years. Much to his surprise, for example, ice cream sandwiches are not a big draw.
“I like ice cream sandwiches, but it’s not about what I like. It’s about what the customers like, and I have learned what sells and what doesn’t sell,” Reisler said, before noting, “Over four years, this menu has changed. Some items have been added, some items have been dropped.”
Reisler enjoys his side hustle. And his customers seem to be pleased with him.
On Saturday, amid a heat wave marked by a high temp of 95 degrees and muggy air, several people at Calvert Regional Park were overhead exclaiming things like, “Oh, good, there’s the ice cream man,” when seeing Reisler and his vendor trike, complete with a blue-and-white striped umbrella for shade.
Reisler noted that he also is a soccer ref — a position of authority that often comes with criticism, sometimes heated.
“When I’m a ref, nobody likes me. But when I’m the ice cream man, everybody loves me,” Reisler chuckled.
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