We recently connected with Necati Atahan and have shared our conversation below.

Necati, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Absolutely! ICE POPS is flipping the script on the traditional ice cream truck experience. We don’t roll up in a faded, jingle-playing van with pre-wrapped novelties—we show up in the most advanced truck on the streets today: fully electric, futuristic, and packed with handcrafted artisan popsicles that are anything but ordinary.

No scoops. No soft serve. Just bold, nostalgic flavors made with care—from juicy real fruit to creamy, cookie-studded creations. We’re not just in the frozen dessert business to cool people off—we’re here to create smiles, spark moments, and bring a modern twist to a classic treat.

We don’t just show up. We roll in loud, colorful, and unforgettable. At a recent school event, a teacher told us, “This doesn’t feel like a treat—it feels like a memory.” That stuck with us. It reminded us that we’re not just delivering pops—we’re delivering joy. Personal. Local. Never mass-produced.

By reimagining how frozen treats are served, we’re turning every ICE POPS visit into something people talk about long after the last bite. Sustainable, stylish, and seriously delicious—that’s how we roll.

Necati, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Sure! I’m Necati, originally from Istanbul, Türkiye, with a background in tech and marketing. I spent years creating award-winning digital experiences—including a fantasy soccer game twice named the best in Türkiye—and worked with global brands like Microsoft, Philips, and Honda. But when life took an unexpected turn and I moved to the U.S., I had to rebuild from scratch. That’s when ICE POPS was born.

The idea hit me during a rideshare shift. My sons, Alex and Noah, were wide-eyed with excitement every time they heard the jingle of an ice cream truck—but when it rolled up, it looked more like a villain’s van from a horror movie than something magical. That just didn’t sit right. I thought: “We can do better.”

I started dreaming of a modern-day frozen treat experience—something clean, colorful, sustainable, and joyful. And not just any frozen treat. When I discovered paletas—Mexican-style handcrafted popsicles made with real fruit, rich cream, and nostalgic flavors—it felt like reuniting with my childhood. It wasn’t just about taste; it was emotional.

Today, ICE POPS is a futuristic take on the traditional ice cream truck. We cruise through San Diego in a fully electric Cybertruck (which kids go wild for), serving handcrafted artisan popsicles that feel fun, inclusive, and unexpected. No scoops. No soft serve. Just 10–12 rotating flavors like juicy strawberry, creamy rainbow rocks, and a whole palette of vegan, nuts-free and dairy-free options.

We’re proud to be the smile-makers at birthdays, school events, corporate appreciation days, and community festivals. Behind the scenes, it’s a family operation—we test flavors at home first (with Alex and Noah as our in-house taste testers), then fine-tune them with our small-batch partner shop.

What makes ICE POPS different isn’t just the truck or the treats—it’s the total experience. From the moment you see us to the last bite, it’s a little spark of happiness that sticks with you. Someone once told me, “You’re the Delorean of dessert trucks,” and I carry that with pride.

We’re just getting started. A trailer is on the way, and a storefront is our goal for the 2026 – 2027 season. But the long game? Building a brand today’s kids will always remember—a delicious, joyful piece of their childhood they’ll want to share with their own families one day.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Definitely. My journey with ICE POPS actually started with a full stop.

I moved to the U.S. with years of experience in tech and marketing, awards on my shelf, and partnerships with big-name brands behind me—but none of that mattered here. I found myself starting from scratch, working long hours as a rideshare driver just to support my family.

During those drives, the idea for ICE POPS started forming—one ride at a time. I noticed how excited my sons got about ice cream trucks, only to be let down by what showed up. I wanted to build something better for them—and for every other kid who deserved a little magic.

Starting a business in a new country, with no network, no credit, and no safety net, was overwhelming. I didn’t have access to capital or industry connections. But I had passion, and I believed in what I was creating.

I learned how to build everything step-by-step. I researched, experimented, failed, fixed, and tried again. Every permit, every freezer, every event—earned through persistence. I drove, I served, I cleaned, I marketed, and I built a brand from the ground up, with my kids as my co-pilots.

Resilience, for me, wasn’t one moment—it was showing up every day and refusing to give up on this dream. Today, seeing smiles light up when the Icebertruck rolls in is the ultimate reminder that it was all worth it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One big lesson I had to unlearn: “You need everything to be perfect before you start.”

Back in my marketing and tech days in Türkiye, I was all about polished campaigns, flawless presentations, everything running on a strict timeline. But when I started ICE POPS, nothing was perfect—especially at the beginning.

I don’t have the dream setup or a full team. I still don’t even have a clear roadmap—just a big idea and a whole lot of passion.

At first, that felt paralyzing. I kept thinking, “I’ll launch after I fix this one more thing…” But slowly I realized: progress beats perfection. Getting out there with a rough draft version of the dream was better than waiting for the stars to align.

So I started serving, learning, improving, and growing with every single event. And you know what? Customers didn’t care that the setup wasn’t flawless—they felt the joy, they loved the pops, and they believed in the experience.

ICE POPS is built on heart, hustle, and honest feedback. And none of that would’ve happened if I had waited for perfect.

That shift in mindset was game-changing—and it’s a reminder I still carry with me every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://californiaicepops.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ICEPOPSLLC
• Twitter: https://x.com/icepopsllc
• Other: https://g.co/kgs/XiBBwyh

Image Credits

instagram.com/kirbybk
instagram.com/matinsdreams