The sun is shining, the air is warming, and the familiar jingle of Mr. Softee echoes across campus. It’s officially spring at SCH. For the past three years, the same iconic ice cream truck has become a seasonal staple outside the cafeteria, offering sweet treats at surprisingly steep prices. But behind the swirl of soft serve lies a swirl of questions: What’s driving the cost? And is it legal to charge different prices at different locations?

Let’s start with the pricing. On May 7, The Campus Lantern sent a survey to SCH Upper School students. In their responses, students indicated Mister Softee prices at SCH are considerably higher than in other parts of the city. Out of the 77 students who said they bought products from the truck on campus, many spent between $6 and $9 on a cone, milkshake, or sundae; some participants even indicated prices of up to $10 to $15 when using Apple Pay. In comparison, prices reported for purchases from Mister Softee vehicles in other locations around Philadelphia frequently ranged from $3 to $5 for similar products.

Students noted inconsistent pricing on a daily basis among at least three different trucks. One truck offered a paper menu with set prices; the others did not provide prices. This has been frustrating and confusing, especially since students have reported being charged different prices for the same item depending on payment method or time of day. These frustrations sparked conversations between students and faculty, all wondering what was driving the high prices at SCH?

According to a CNN article posted on August 24, 2024, “Most Mister Softee trucks are owned and operated by independent franchise dealers … Franchisees are given a designated neighborhood or area where they can sell. Within their assigned turf, franchise owners set ice cream prices and decide the prime selling spots.” This does answer the question about the legality of inflated prices. The prices are legal (though questionably ethical). However, this raises another question: With multiple different Mr. Softee trucks on campus, can each truck really set their own individual price?

On Thursday, May 8, The Campus Lantern engaged with two distinct Mister Softee trucks operating on Willow Grove Avenue. The two trucks were parked outside the cafeteria and beside the baseball fields after school, during student dismissal and sports practices. One truck arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and stayed until 4:00, and the other arrived at 4:30 and stayed until 5:45 PM.

At 3:00 PM, a student reporter approached the Mr. Softee truck to ask questions about pricing. The driver said his brother normally operated the truck but was not present. As a result, he could not answer any questions. At 4:30 PM that same day, a new truck was spotted outside SCH. The driver initially agreed to a brief interview but fell silent when questioned about how he obtained Chestnut Hill as his designated neighborhood to sell ice cream. Seconds later, when the reporter turned around to take a call, he drove away from the scene.

Attempts to identify and get information about pricing from the operators of the Mister Softee trucks at SCH have revealed low transparency levels, which is also present at the franchise level. This reporter also reached out to Mister Softee headquarters but did not get a response.

Shrouded in mystery, several questions remain unanswered: Is it ethical to inflate prices for kids? What assumptions have been made about SCH students’ economic status that is driving trucks to set their individual prices? And who is really the one behind the trucks, calling the shots?