Tasty Tuxedo brings the class in serving frozen treats

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) --Jimmy Mai is getting set for his work day. He stops by local shops to pick up what he'll soon sell.

His title, technically, is "ice cream man."

"I'm okay with it," Mai said.

But, he puts the cool, pun intended, in selling frozen treats. A tux is his uniform.

"We kind of looked up to the old school, good humor guys," he said.

As for his ride, forget a van, he's rolling around town in style.

"If you see him cruising up and down Market Street, you're going to stop, turn and do a double take," said Maggie Hoy.

"I was like, oh these guys are too cool right now," Geran Thur said.

All of it is part of a well thought-out business model.

"We always just dreamed about this idea," Mai told WDRB.

Last spring, Tasty Tuxedo was born.

"We see ourselves as the frozen dessert aisle of your local food store," Mai explained.

When he says local, he means local. The business sells ice cream sandwiches from Sweets by Millie in NuLu, popsicles from Please and Thank You, and push pops from Gelato Gilberto in Prospect.

Everything is sold out of the Russian-made bike's sidecar. You can find Tasty Tuxedo open for business at events like Forecastle or in a public place like Waterfront Park.

If you don't notice their ride, you'll probably see the line. They're popular.

"Oh that's good," said one customer as she ate an ice cream sandwich.

When you're dealing with frozen foods in a scorcher of a summer, there are going to be challenges.

Like meltdowns...

"Of the Popsicle and Ice Cream sort," Mai explained.

Wardrobe issues can also apparently be a problem.

"We've definitely had a couple rips, some zipper malfunctions," he said with a laugh.

But, the guys who own and operate Tasty Tuxedo overcome the sticky spots to bring Louisville a first-of-its-kind business.