Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck: Building a Family Dream Through Community Support

Overview

For Juline Hobbs, Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck began as a lifelong dream rooted in nostalgia, family, and community. After working at Vickie’s Carousel Ice Cream in Hayward during the 1980s, Juline always imagined owning an ice cream business of her own one day.

Years later, with the support of her husband Brian and their four sons, that dream became reality through Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck—a family-run mobile business bringing ice cream, energy, and connection to events across Calaveras, San Joaquin, and Amador Counties.

But the business became something even more meaningful than entrepreneurship alone.

Following a serious accident in 2012 that left their eldest son Brandon Fisher with cognitive challenges, the family saw the business as an opportunity to create purpose, independence, and meaningful work for him. Today, the Hobbs family is planning a third truck specifically for Brandon to eventually manage independently.

What started as an ice cream truck evolved into a business built on resilience, family support, and the belief that joy and opportunity can still be created through life’s hardest moments.

The Challenge

When the Hobbs family launched Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck, they had passion and vision—but little formal business experience.

The family faced challenges including:

• Creating a professional website
• Developing accounting and bookkeeping systems
• Understanding HR compliance requirements
• Building marketing strategies
• Managing day-to-day business operations
• Scaling the business while maintaining family balance and sustainability

As a rural, women-owned family business, accessing personalized support and business education was critical to helping them grow confidently and sustainably.

CalAsian Chamber’s Support

Through the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Rural Business Center and Technical Assistance Program (TAP), the Hobbs family received hands-on support tailored to their business needs.

Support included:

• Workshops covering essential small business operations
• One-on-one consultations and mentorship
• QuickBooks Online training and accounting guidance
• HR support, including development of an Employee Handbook
• Marketing strategy assistance
• Website development support to streamline customer event bookings

The family especially valued the combination of workshops and individualized coaching, allowing them to both learn foundational business concepts and apply solutions directly to their specific challenges.

Juline credited Sherri Reusche and the Rural Business Center for helping transform what once felt overwhelming into something manageable and achievable for their family business.

The Outcome

With technical assistance and mentorship support, Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck successfully expanded from one truck to two — increasing its ability to serve events and communities throughout the region.

Since participating in the program, the business has:

• Built a professional website showcasing services and booking options
• Implemented stronger accounting and operational systems
• Strengthened HR and compliance practices
• Expanded marketing efforts and community visibility
• Increased event capacity through the addition of a second truck
• Continued planning for a future third truck dedicated to Brandon’s independent management

Beyond operational growth, the business created a stronger foundation for long-term sustainability and family empowerment.

Why This Matters

Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck’s story reflects how culturally responsive technical assistance and rural small business support can create lasting economic and personal impact.

For many family-owned rural businesses, success requires more than passion — it requires access to mentorship, education, operational guidance, and a support system that understands the realities of building a business from the ground up.

By investing in businesses like Cowabunga Ice Cream Truck, CalAsian Chamber’s Rural Business Center helps entrepreneurs not only grow revenue and operations, but also create opportunities that strengthen families, communities, and local economies across rural California.

In Juline’s Words (Quotes Preserved Exactly)

“The Rural Business Center has truly transformed the way we operate. What once felt overwhelming now feels achievable, and we’re excited to keep building our business with the foundation we’ve gained.”

“We faced challenges creating a professional website, establishing accounting systems, understanding HR compliance, building marketing strategies, and managing overall operations. The Rural Business Center provided workshops, one-on-one coaching, and mentorship that guided our family through each challenge.”