If you’ve spent much time anchored on the Bohemia River this summer, you’ve probably heard the music before you’ve seen the boat.
Moments later, an 11-foot Jon boat rounds the cove carrying a chest freezer full of frozen treats and 16-year-old Brian Troupe. Children begin waving from swim platforms, adults point across the anchorage, and dogs perk up, hoping they might be next in line for one of Brian’s complimentary ‘doggy ice cream’ treats.
For many Upper Chesapeake boaters, that little boat has quietly become part of the summer tradition.
What started as a conversation with a neighbor has grown into Troupe’s Treats, a boat-to-boat frozen treat business that serves families enjoying a day on the water. He started out by trying to sell ice cream at the end of his family’s pier but found that people were either reluctant to stop or had docking issues. It wasn’t long before he decided he would need a boat to go out and see customers directly.
Brian and his family stumbled upon a boat in Cabela’s and after some discussion decided to buy it. Today, Brian has recently hit the one-year mark for his business.
Regarding what to sell, Brian deliberately chose prepackaged frozen novelties because they solve a simple problem: while most boaters remember to pack drinks and snacks, keeping ice cream frozen all afternoon is much harder.
The business is intentionally simple. Every frozen treat costs $3, making transactions quick and easy between boats. Brian focuses less on making a sale than creating an enjoyable experience for families spending the day on the river.
Even obtaining his license produced a memorable story. After inspecting the operation, a Cecil County Health Department inspector reportedly joked that Brian’s little ice cream boat was likely the smallest mobile food unit the department had ever certified.
This summer Brian bought a Sea-Doo Switch, which he considers a huge upgrade. He wanted to be able to go farther and also needed more storage space for the freezers as he was continually selling out on his previous boat.
One of the big appeals of the Switch is how customizable it is. Brian enjoys taking it out even when he’s not working, and he loves being able to easily load up the freezers and remove them depending on the day.
Throughout the summer you can find him covering Crystal Beach and Buttonwood Beach on the Bohemia River. For Brian, it’s all about seeing the excitement from boaters out on the water. “Everybody is in a happy mood, and everyone is so welcoming and joyful to be around,” he says. And while he has a variety of delicious treats to choose from, his favorites are the complimentary doggy ice creams.
Jonny Towers, administrator of the Bohemia River Boaters and all of the Upper Chesapeake Facebook group, says Brian has become part of the area’s boating culture. “Everybody out here knows the ice cream boat kid,” Towers said. “People genuinely look forward to seeing him on the river.”
The popularity of the concept recently caught the attention of Bohemia Manor Farm. General Manager Matt Jones invited Brian to bring Troupe’s Treats ashore for selected music festivals, weddings, and other special events hosted at the winery.
Brian recently got his food service facility license so he can be a mobile food vendor. Eventually he hopes to work year-round, bringing his boat and a display to events, something along the lines of, “My boat ran aground,” where he can sell his frozen treats.
Brian’s summer business has also earned broader recognition. He finished among the top 16 out of an estimated 45,000 participants in the Entrepreneur of Impact competition, and his story has attracted interest well beyond the boating community.
Beyond the river, Brian hopes to become a roller coaster engineer. His fascination isn’t simply with riding roller coasters, but with the engineering, physics, safety systems, and theming that bring them to life. That curiosity has already taken him to major amusement industry expos and behind-the-scenes tours of roller coaster manufacturing facilities.
For now, however, his focus remains on the Bohemia River. Every time that familiar music drifts across an anchorage, another family smiles, another child waves, and another summer memory is made. For many Upper Chesapeake boaters, hearing the music has become one of those small traditions that simply means summer has arrived.
Submitted by Brian Troupe with editing by Kaylie Jasinski