For most of Long Island, Mister Softee arrives on wheels, announced by a jingle a block before the truck turns the corner. In Miller Place, it now has an address. A Mister Softee shop opened on Friday, Oct. 30, at 691 Route 25A, run by a family that has been part of the brand in New York since the year it began.

Five generations, starting in 1956

Mister Softee was founded in Philadelphia in 1956 by brothers James and William Conway, who built their first truck in a garage in West Philadelphia. That truck went out on St. Patrick's Day 1956, serving green soft serve.

The same year, according to the Miller Place shop, Frank Fielder became the first Mister Softee distributor in New York. He was the great-grandfather of Steven Zoly, one of the shop's two owners. Over the decades that followed, the family helped build the franchise across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island to about 350 trucks. Zoly's father later took the brand off the street and into stadiums and arenas in the United States and Canada; the shop says Mister Softee can now be found in more than 30 of them. The shop's own account describes the owners as a fifth-generation Mister Softee family.

Who runs it

Zoly has owned and operated Mister Softee trucks for the last seven years, working neighborhoods, beaches, schools and events across the North Shore. His partner in the shop is Joseph Glendenning, owner of JC Discount Fuel. The two have worked together for more than five years, with Zoly delivering heating oil for Glendenning in the winter months when the trucks are parked.

What is on the menu

The shop serves the soft serve the trucks are known for, in vanilla, chocolate and twist, in cones, waffle cones and cups. The menu runs through the classics a Long Islander would expect from the truck window: chocolate dip and cherry dip cones, rainbow and chocolate sprinkles, sundaes topped with strawberry, pineapple, caramel, crushed cherry, chocolate chips, nuts, Oreo cookies or Reese's Pieces, plus shakes, soda floats, a banana boat, the Cartwheel ice cream sandwich and take-home pints.

The trucks are still part of the business. The shop books Mister Softee trucks for parties, schools and special events through its website.

Hours and how to order

The shop's posted hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Sunday. It takes orders for pickup and delivery through Square, DoorDash and Uber Eats, and it can be reached at 631-953-5841 or [email protected].

The shop is at 691 Route 25A in Miller Place, on the North Shore corridor between Mount Sinai and Rocky Point.

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