“Truck Talk” Op-Ed: Coolhaus Not So Cool
We can’t actually tell if Mike (a) is tired of shelling out $3.50 for his Coolhaus ice cream sandos, (b) has a crush on the owners, (c) is jealous of the truck’s tar-architecture- asphalt-and- cream-laden business model, or (d) is completely and wholly spot-on, in the right, in his op-ed below regarding the Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck duo’s failure to openly confess to a presumed Diddy Riese/UCLA collegiate inspiration at some level, having in the last few months shoved their version of the venerable Westwood institution’s non-architecturally-themed-yet-peculiarly-overly-familiar $1.50 sandos into a trendy li’l chrome truck, slapped punny architectural names onto them and tweeted them away all o’er town for $3.50 a throw, an astonishing markup in our frugal books. Who’s to say? That’s why they call it op-ed! Feel free to share your own opinions following the below tirade. The more vocal of you, g’head, send us a fully-fleshed submission for op-ed consideration on these pages (yes, Coolhaus, we’re looking directly at you for rebuttal). -ed
 Above close-up of one member of Coolhaus’ $3.50 summer product line replete with edible “500 Days of Summer” wrapper courtesy intellichick (some rights reserved) |
Coolhaus not so cool
By Mike
I live in Los Angeles and I eat a lot. I drink a little, too. With this highly dignified and prestigious culinary resume I’ve accumulated some opinions over the years. From time to time I will share them here. Bottoms up.
Dear Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck Ladies,
Look, I like you ladies. Natasha and Freya – those sound like hot names. Your truck, it’s silver – that’s fucking adorable. It’s even got rims. Totally bad ass. Your sandwiches are named after one of the most overlooked professions of the modern day … architects.
That’s all well and good.
It truly is. But, I think your shenanigans have gone on long enough. It’s time we discuss the frozen white elephant in the truck.
You guys both graduated from UCLA. You both graduated from UCLA in the past few years. I know this because I read an article about your ice cream sandwich truck in Time Magazine. Yeah, Time fucking Magazine. Pretty impressive for a new business venture. But, I digress. In this Time Magazine article I kept searching for the obvious. Couldn’t find it. So I searched through other interviews. Still couldn’t find what I was looking for.
Surely, two young, bright, attractively named ladies with UC educations would have the common decency to at least acknowledge their influence. Apparently I was wrong. For those unaware of what I’m getting at: Diddy Riese has been a mainstay in Westwood Village for over 25 years. It is the UCLA late night institution. Every college has one – and with lines sometimes around the block at midnight Diddy adorns the Bruin crown. Diddy Riese really only serves one thing: ICE CREAM SANDWICHES. Its Westwood popularity is only rivaled by a handful of other LA restaurants. Maybe only Pink’s (but Diddy’s actually good), Bay Cities, Sprinkles and Mozza.
 Above close-up of p.diddyriese’s $1.50 masterpiece courtesy option this (some rights reserved) |
Is it possible two UCLA architecture students possibly never went into/walked by/heard of the campus mainstay? Doesn’t seem likely. Do I fault you two for capitalizing on a concept that should have been capitalized upon years ago? No, I do not. Do I find it baffling in not one interview have you even acknowledged Diddy Riese’s presence at your alma mater or possible slight influence? Yes. And, truthfully, it’s annoying.
Even fucking Starbucks admits they stole the idea of the Frappuccino from a predecessor (although they vary on whom they borrowed/bought the idea from).
If the evil empire that is Starbucks can admit a little copying why can’t you guys? Oh, that’s right … you’re totally different. You’re all about architecture and educating through your sandwiches. Sweet. Cool. Oh, wait. Education through ice cream – not such a novel idea either. Talk to a few dudes from Vermont named Ben and Jerry.
Luckily, like most predecessors, Diddy Riese is way better (and cheaper).
Cheers,
Mike
Diddy Riese
926 Broxton Avenue
Westwood, 90024
diddyriese.com
(P.S. Don’t get me wrong, gentleladies, I’m an avid LA food truck advocate. I love them. I check Twitter for them. People constantly tell me to shut the eff up about them. The Border Grill taco truck is the cat’s meow. Weekly I go way out of my way to “accidentally” discover the Get Shaved van. And your Milk ice cream is a summer treat. That’s for sure.
I also know about the recent street wars you all are enduring. Who knows — maybe little things like admitting influences could begin to assuage the situation. In the least … it’ll make grandma proud. And isn’t that what we all aspire for at the end of the day anyway?)
Mike, you call yourself an avid food lover and I can see from your post that you love UCLA, but I am from Los Angeles (the suburbs) and have never heard of Diddy Reese—-but heard a lot about CoolHaus.
CoolHaus uses natural ice cream while Diddy Reese uses Dreyers (maybe thats why the price is cheaper)
So I suggest if you just want to go to the store and buy a Dreyers carton and cookies, then walah, there you go—-Diddy Reese for you.
CoolHaus brings a different affect that requires fans and customers to visit them at their truck. It changes the ambiance for food lovers. CoolHaus gives customers another experience for ice cream lovers.
I am not taking away from Diddy Reese’s fans, I am aware that it gives college kids a great experience.
But CoolHaus (along with other food trucks) changes the experience of eating food. It’s all natural ice cream and though not cheaper than what you want—-people are still willing to pay for it because they can.
And if Coolhaus had to screen “Diddy Reese” everytime, that is ridiculous. Then every coffee shop would need a disclaimer…
It may not be cool to you,but it sure is cool to about 6,000+ other people.
I learned to always be appreciative of food, never hate.
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The Border Grill taco truck is the cat’s meow. Weekly I go way out of my way to “accidentally” discover the Get Shaved van
ok mike
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Dumbest. Post. Ever.
God, I really hope you were kidding, Mike. At least partially.
can any of these places make some VEGAN ice cream sandwiches? i’d pay like 6 bucks for one. come on, take advantage of me!
I’ll ask it: who exactly do we think El Pecas #2 was originally aping? Takers? (Step up Pete, I know you have a guess)
Don’t even get me started on the rampant baconwrapped cart-copying that I see occurring on our city streets, to say nothing of all those knockoff roasted corn carts and frutas carts choking us with affordable, similarly-or-more-typically-identically priced competitive options… to FURTHER say nothing of the dudes I’ve seen selling socks out of clear plastic bags down by Westlake MacArthur…you can’t tell me those guys all came up with the same idea at once. So it continues; nary a nod to a predecessor, nary a source of inspiration cited.
A pox upon all ye pretenders who hath infringed upon the rightful ownership of mine own unique creation, the SANDWICH, formed of assembling a portion of some such foodstuff, frequently dried animal flesh, betwixt two flat portions of some bread-like foodstuff. The SANDWICH shall forever be my legacy and all ye who should resemble this gastronomical configuration without paying full dues upon the name John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, shall receive fully 1,000 lashes when thou receivest thine own in fiery Hades.
Diddy Riese opened in 1983. Pfft.
The first mobile ice cream sandwich vendor was sited almost a century earlier in New York, with a cart “elaborately decorated with signs in Hebrew characters.”
Any ice cream sandwich truck that isn’t covered in elaborate Hebrew scrawl is s LIVING A LIE!!!
I think only UCLA people know what DIDDY REISE is. I don’t go to UCLA (but am from Los Angeles and now live in NY) and had no idea DIDDY REISE even existed. Also, I don’t think the target market is the same at all…Diddy Reise is cheaper/affordable because it targets college kids while COOLHAUS targets people who have jobs and are willing to spend the money on it.
It’s like eating at Shake Shack in NY or eating a burger at McDonald’s…same essential burger, but way different concept, quality, and target market.
And I don’t think Freya or Natasha need to put any disclaimer since it’s not true.
And there doesn’t need to be any harassment from a totally biased person from UCLA.
GO USC.
That may all be well and good, Freya, but you know you guys could have just screened the disclaimer “AS INSPIRED BY DIDDY REISE” on both sides of your truck at the outset and you might have preempted this raging controversy. It’s not too late. I’m thinking 400pt Comic Sans.
And best play it safe and mention “DIDDY REISE” at least 3 times in every single interview you guys give going forward.
Hi Mike – I appreciate the feedback.
Here are my responses:
1) I’m not a UCLA grad (Cornell)
2) I’ve actually never been to Diddy Riese.
3) To my understanding, Diddy Riese uses Dreyers ice cream, we use all natural ice cream made at MILK that consists of their and our recipes.
4) Coolhaus is just one project under the Farchitecture umbrella – our business aspirations do not stop at an ice cream truck.
So while our intent was not to become mobile Diddy Riese, I understand the similarities and comparison. If you must, we are the gourmet, architecturally themed, custom edible wrapper slangin mobile version.
I get it, call a spade a spade, but I think we’re more like a club.
Come see us at the truck for a sammie on the haus!
Freya