An Open Letter To The Schwan’s Of My Childhood [OPINION]

After 75 years serving the folks of Minnesota, the terribly named Yelloh! company formerly named Schwan's announced it will cease operations. The company used the usual buzzwords/excuses for closing including staffing challenges, supply chain issues and competitive pressures.

YELLOH! via Facebook:

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the difficult decision to cease operations of our company, after 72 years of serving our valued customers and neighbors. Despite the valiant efforts of our employees, we are unable to find a path forward in this increasingly competitive and evolving marketplace. We are deeply grateful for the support and loyalty of our customers, employees, and communities over the decades. The last day products may be purchased via our Yelloh trucks will be Friday, November 8. The last official day of company operations will be Friday, November 22.

As usual, no self-reflection from the higher-ups.

While I hadn't ordered anything from Schwan's in a few years, there was still something comforting about seeing them rolling around my neighborhood in Sartell. In fact, the Schwan's guy in our neighborhood used to be a coach with the Timberwolves!

As a kid, the Schwan's truck was EVERYTHING. Looking back it is kind of surprising that my parents even indulged in what I personally thought of as a very luxurious service! Every so often the truck would roll through our neighborhood and drop off a basement-freezer-full of frozen deliciousness.

Our family's favorite frozen treats were the mini chocolate sundae cups and of course the famous cones. There was something different and special about the flavor of the vanilla ice cream Schwan's used... if I think hard enough I can remember just how they tasted on a hot summer day. It was the perfect combination of frozen and creamy.

Another popular item in our household as kids were the 'pigs in a blanket,' delicious breakfast sausages wrapped in pancakes. Schwan's also had some sneaky good pizzas!

Like a lot of things from my childhood, the memory of Schwan's will fade into the background and eventually will be a tiny piece of nostalgia that someone will reminisce about on social media 20 years from now.

We will always have the memories of the yellow truck rolling through our Minnesota town, packed with frozen goodness.