Comedian Rob Shehadie debunks huge Mr Whippy myth

Mr Whippy is set to make a comeback in Australia, and the new owners want to debunk a major myth about the iconic ice cream truck.

There is nothing more nostalgic than the sound of an iconic Mr Whippy van echoing down the street.

The telltale chime of Greensleeves blaring from a bright pink icecream truck all but vanished years ago - but it’s making a comeback.

The Dib Group, which owns the largest independent petrol retailer in Australia, purchased the Mr Whippy brand in 2019 after it had slowly began to disappear from the national landscape.

“We rolled out Mr Whippy in the petrol stations as a thick shake offer but, when you look at the history of Mr Whippy, it’s always been soft serve,” Paul Ayoub, the general manager of Mr Whippy, told news.com.au.

He said the idea was that thickshakes were self-serve, allowing customers to do it themselves, but there were a lot of requests for soft serves — and he said the people were right.

Rob Shehadie and Tahir Bilgiç are in charge of the van side of the business. Picture: Supplied

Now, Mr Whippy soft serves are in just under 100 stores, including petrol stations, leagues and bowling clubs. There are also carts that people can purchase or hire for events.

But, there was always the van element of the project, and that is where Here Come The Habibs comedian Rob Shehadie and Tahir Bilgiç came into the picture.

Mr Shehadie told news.com.au he and Tahir had been working at the Dib Group conference and saw the money that Metro Petroleum franchisees were pulling in.

“I inquired about a petrol station, because I’m always looking for something else to do,” he said.

After discussions revealed the business had purchased Mr Whippy, Mr Shehadie and his fellow comedian decided this was a lot more on brand for themselves, as it too brought joy into people’s lives just like their comedy.

So, they created the first Mr Whippy van in years and have plans for a second one to hit the road in Sydney too.

Mr Whippy is planning on a national comeback. Picture: Instagram/@mrwhippyofficial

Paul Ayoub is the general manager of Mr Whippy. Picture: Supplied

“It’s amazing the excitement you see on people’s faces of all ages,” Mr Shehadie said.

“Like last night, I went down with the driver and helped him a bit. There was an elderly couple that came and they were just so excited, because it just takes you back to your childhood.”

However, he did say that there was an important myth he wanted to debunk when it came to Mr Whippy vans.

“For years, parents would tell kids that the music playing meant Mr Whippy was out of ice-cream,” he said.

“I’m going to debunk this — so kids that are reading this, when Mr Whippy is playing the music it means he’s got ice-cream.”

Rob debunked a huge Mr Whippy myth. Picture: Supplied

Mr Shehadie said he has his own Mr Whippy memory that stands out for him that he still remembers incredibly clearly.

“I heard the music and my mum gave me the money and I went down probably 100 metres from my house. I would’ve been maybe five years old, and I got a handful of ice-creams,” he said.

“I paid the guy and then I dropped two of them. They hit the ground and I started crying.

“And then the good old Mr Whippy guy said ‘don’t worry’ and replaced them for me. I’ll never forget that. It has always stuck in my mind.”

Currently, the van does drive around in Sydney but it can also be hired out for private events such as birthday parties and weddings. While there is currently only one van on the road, the plan is to introduce a new van every three months before expanding nationally.

Mr Ayoub said the plan was to keep it simple with the brand, and while soft serve will always be at the forefront, there are other items, such as cookies, available.