(Image: Cosmic Ice Cream)

By Nova Berger/CHS Intern

Cosmic Ice Cream is a Seattle favorite known for its eye-catching treats that taste as good as they look. The bright blue truck has become a familiar sight in Volunteer Park, drawing crowds with its Instagram-worthy sweets and providing sweet treats in the massively popular public green space.

Their unique approach and vibrant branding have made a splash on social media, particularly on TikTok. “Photographed by thousands,” says Sabrina Tissot, co-owner of Cosmic Ice Cream with her husband, Shane Tissot.

The truck offers classic staples like root beer floats and vanilla swirl, but the real highlight is the create-your-own menu. Customers can personalize their ice cream with a variety of toppings, all made with locally sourced and organic ingredients. Cosmic Ice Cream also offers special cosmic-themed flavors, a changing seasonal menu, and even dog treats.

Designers by trade, the Tissots used to own the Fremont boutique Wish. When the pandemic forced them to close as their landlords decided to sell, they turned their eye to other artistic endeavors. Inspired by Sabrina’s first job as an ice cream vendor, they wanted to bring something beautiful to the city’s food truck mix.

(Image: Cosmic Ice Cream)

(Image: Cosmic Ice Cream)

(Image: Cosmic Ice Cream)

The original plan was to turn Wish into an ice cream store, but licensing and permit obstacles made it impossible. This sparked the idea for a mobile operation, and in 2019, the universe answered their wish. Family friends offered them the Cosmic food truck, and the Tissots upgraded it, expanding the menu and community presence through social media.

Positive feedback from early gigs at retirement homes and for friends gave them the confidence to start selling. They quickly gained a following in the Capitol Hill community. “I turned my cosmic love of space and wonder into presentation,” says Tissot, describing the truck’s intergalactic design.

The Tissots’ expertise in visual aesthetics ensured that every aspect of the ice cream and the truck itself was visually appealing. This, paired with social media excitement, has been the recipe for Cosmic Ice Cream’s success.

“It brings out the kid in everyone,” says Tissot.

Volunteer Park, with its beautiful grassy scenes and sweet ambiance, is Tissot’s favorite place to sell. The colorful blue truck attracts a crowd, and Tissot says she often sees familiar faces.

The truck is a popular addition to the Volunteer Park scene and provides something to enjoy on strolls and when hanging out a few days every week. CHS reported here on the Seattle Parks and Recreation concession and vendor process for its park system including Volunteer Park and Cal Anderson. For many vendors, going through the hoops and paying the costs doesn’t pencil out for more permanent placements in Capitol Hill-area parks.

Park vendors must pay a fee — more than $500 a month during peak seasons — for the right to operate in the public spaces. Vendors range beyond food and drink. Other growing business opportunities include camps and education.

Meanwhile, despite the presence of the popular Seattle Asian Art Museum within its bounds, there are no fixed-place food and drink options in Volunteer Park. The Volunteer Park Cafe is just down the hill along E Galer and 15th Ave E’s restaurants and cafes are a short walk away.

Doing business in Volunteer Park requires a few licenses, but the mobility of the ice cream van allows Cosmic to sell all over Seattle. “It’s the snack truck of your dreams!” says one customer outside the Museum of History and Industry.

Cosmic Ice Cream can be found at MOHAI on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sunday evenings, and at Volunteer Park on Thursdays and Saturdays. They are also always at the Fremont Sunday market.

Tissot says the food truck system in Seattle is tight-knit, and the trucks often trade with each other. On summer days, the Tissots sometimes trade their soft ice cream for someone else’s “hard” if they want a treat of their own.

You can track Cosmic Ice Cream’s schedule at seattlefoodtruck.com/food-trucks/cosmic-ice-cream-van. Learn more @cosmicicecreamvan.

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