Oskey's 'Ice Cream Man' Dan Sager serves frosty treats year round

ByChris Bollini Localish logo
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
We all scream for ice cream, all year round
Oskey's Ice Cream serves up frosty treats all year round.Oskey's Ice Cream truck serves up tasty ice cream treats in Petaluma all year round.

PETALUMA, Calif. -- Mornings can be rather chilly, but for ice cream man Dan Sager the cold has never bothered him anyway.

"If the sun is shining, people you can buy ice cream, and we do it all year round," Oskey's Ice Cream Owner Dan Sager explains.

"I'll never turn ice cream down," ice cream lover Malvina declares with a smile.

"I'm a picky eater, but not when it comes to ice cream," customer Issac says.

Oskey's Ice Cream truck hits the streets in Petaluma ready to serve up some unique treats.

"A day in the life of an ice cream man. It's driving the streets. That's the bread and butter," Sager shares, "The music is what calls people out. And if they hear it, they come running."

One of Sager's greatest rewards is making his customers day a little sweeter.

"Novelty ice cream like I sell only comes around on a truck," Sager explains. "You can't get most of these things at the grocery store."

"You have this nostalgia for childhood, and I have kids now and it just makes it more fun and exciting," longtime customer Kelly Reed says.

"They dance in the street, nothing but smiles," Sager adds.

"I listen for the words: ice cream. Someone says, 'Ice cream truck. I listen for that," Sager reveals. "That's how I know when I need to stop."

Sager took the business over from his father who started operating ice cream trucks back in 1978.

"He was really excited that someone was going to drive the truck again," Sager recalls. "That one of his kids decided to do it."

Sager decided to pay homage to my father by keeping the name, "Oskey's Ice Cream," but he did find a new face for the company logo: his dog Fred.

"The kids expect to see him, so he goes everywhere with me."

"I do love seeing the kid's faces," Sager shares, "It makes me smile most of all."

Bringing people together holds a warm spot in Sager's heart. His truck has become a focal point for creating community.

"Everyone comes out of their house at the same time. Everyone shares ice cream together. It's just fun," Reed says.

"I just like talking to people. I get out there and sometimes, I spend 10,15 minutes chatting it up with them before I realize that I am supposed to be working," Sager adds.

"There are kids that want to be just like me, that's a funny thing because I never wanted to be an ice cream man, but I love it now. I wouldn't trade it for anything," Sager reveals.

For more information, follow Oskey's Ice Cream Truck on Instagram!