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At 15, Brian Troupe started Troupe’s Treats selling ice cream to boaters on Maryland’s Bohemia River. His pier-side stand failed to attract customers; taking the ice cream out on the water changed the business. Entrepreneur reported that the venture recorded more than $25,000 in gross sales during the 2026 summer season—not $25,000 in profit.
How Troupe’s Treats started
Troupe opened Troupe’s Treats at the end of a pier in July 2025, when he was 15. The idea was to sell ice cream to boaters who might not have freezers aboard. But the location did not bring in buyers. Instead of abandoning the idea, he bought a small jon boat with savings and added bumpers and other equipment so he could sell directly to people on the water. These details and the sales figures below were reported by Amanda Breen in Entrepreneur on October 1, 2026; the profile does not provide audited accounts or independently verified financial records.
What the reported sales figures show
Entrepreneur described the seasonal totals as gross sales: money from sales before costs. The profile does not give expenses or net profit, so its figures should not be read as what Troupe personally earned.
| Season | Reported sales pace | Reported season total | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | About $800 per weekend on average after he switched to selling from the boat; more than $1,200 on his best weekend | Nearly $6,000 in gross sales | He moved from a pier-side setup to direct sales from a small jon boat. Items sold for $2. |
| 2026 | About $1,800 per weekend on average; more than $2,100 on his best weekend | More than $25,000 in gross sales | He added premium bars, a larger freezer, and a Sea-Doo Switch that let him visit four locations across multiple rivers. |
The 2026 figure represents the summer season described in the October 1 profile, not an annual profit statement. Entrepreneur does not report the cost of inventory, equipment, fuel, or other expenses for either season.
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- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: Mixing paddle makes frozen treats in 20 minutes or less (freezer bowl must be pre-frozen).
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Why changing the sales channel mattered
The first setup asked boaters to come to the end of a pier for ice cream. The revised setup brought the product to boaters where they already were. That shift addressed the practical mismatch between a fixed stand and customers out on the water; the profile does not isolate how much of the later sales growth came from any single change.
“It went the worst it could have,” Troupe says. “Luckily for me, I didn’t let that stop me. I looked at it as, This is a problem. Where is a solution? Once that solution was found, it was smooth sailing, no pun intended, from there.”
Rank #2
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- LIMITED 3-YEAR WARRANTY: The BPA-free Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine ICE30BCP1 comes with a limited 3-year warranty.
Small operating problems became part of the business
Passing products and payment between boats
Handing over ice cream and taking payment while both people balanced on boats could be awkward, with the risk of dropping cash or a card in the water. Troupe used a fishing net about a foot and a half wide with a long handle to pass as many as six items and receive payment.
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“Imagine trying to give somebody an ice cream with waves crashing, and you’re sitting here trying to balance on a boat, and you’ve got another person trying to balance on a boat while not dropping money or credit cards into the water. It becomes a comical scene.”
Rank #3
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Making change and handling sold-out items
When he added premium bars for $3, he sometimes ran short of $1 bills for change. He carried $2 bills, which also stood out to some younger customers. For sold-out products, he placed “I’m in a pickle” stickers beside the empty spots and kept a jar of pickles as a joking substitute. The profile also says he offers free pup cups to customers with dogs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changed as the business grew
For 2026, Troupe expanded the menu with Magnum and Klondike bars priced at $3, bought a larger freezer, and switched to a Sea-Doo Switch. The new setup allowed him to reach four locations across multiple rivers, according to Entrepreneur. The profile does not specify the boat configuration or freezer model, so it does not support a detailed equipment comparison.
Rank #4
- Effortless Ice Cream in Minutes: Say goodbye to the hassle of manual churning and hello to the convenience of this ice cream maker. With our powerful electric ice cream maker machine, you’ll have up to 4 quarts of rich, creamy ice cream ready in no time. Whether you're craving a classic treat or a soft serve indulgence, this ice cream maker machine takes the work out of the process, leaving you with delicious, homemade ice cream in minutes-perfect for family fun or last-minute gatherings.
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His central takeaway is about capacity, not just demand: “Growth isn’t more customers,” he says. “Growth is finding out what fails when you have more customers.” In his case, that meant adapting the selling location and figuring out how to move product and payment between boats as the operation expanded.
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Best Value
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