Soft Serve Showdown Between Mister Softee And Master Softee

Ahh, the sounds of the ice cream man. They bring back childhood memories of licking your favorite cherry-coated vanilla cone from the local Mister Softee. Mister Softee has been the ice cream truck favorite since 1956, but don't be fooled by the new similar trucks that have been seen romaing around the five boroughs. Master Softee uses a similar truck, font, logo and products as Mister Softee. The two ice cream purveyors are almost difficult to tell apart, except that Master Softee's cone head is darker, and topped with sprinkles. The company behind Mister Softee is suing Master Softee for trademark infringement.

"It's not funny, it's terrible," attorney Jeffrey Zucker told The Daily News. "You are unfairly benefiting from all the hard work Mister Softee has built up since 1956."

Mister Softee did not return calls for comment in time for publication

The Daily Meal spotted one of the cone copycats in the Flatiron District, and there have been reports of Master Softee trucks in Queens. One Instagram user even snapped a photo of a Master Softee truck on Avenue A displaying Mister Softee boxes in the window.

In case you're wondering, Daily News reporters have described Master Softee's vanilla cone as "overly milky with no immediate hints of vanilla bean" in comparison with the familiar strong vanilla flavor in an original Mister Softee cone. 

Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi