Ben Van Leeuwen is the co-founder of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream in New York. He has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
Van Leeuwen started selling its ice cream out of a truck in SoHo in 2008. Now, it offers nationwide shipping and supplies 3,000 groceries stores.
Food trucks like Van Leeuwen Ice Cream have seen exponential growth in the past five years. Data from IBIS World shows revenue growth of 7.6% to nearly $870 million from 2011 through 2016, with some 4,000 food trucks nationwide.
The National Restaurant Association data shows that over the past decade on a unit basis eating and drinking places posted a 1.6% compound annual growth rate versus 1.7% for quick service establishments, while mobile caterers grew 10.2%.