Trailer - already mentioned, but a good idea. Ice Cream sales at different events, costs are less (vs. rent in a single location) you schedule events that you attend, area covered can be larger to increase exposure, with a unique name or product you develop a customer base/recognition (for later at a stationary location), you can schedule days off and should you ever want to close up shop you can sell it as a package - someone buys it and hauls it away.

Lots of flexibility with a Mobil operation. In addition, you might find a regular local setup, (at a flea market?) that will tell you if there is enough traffic for a bricks and mortar shop.

You should take a hard look at a franchise. They will have all of the business stuff worked out and franchises are usually much more successful than independent start ups. Mainly because they do have the business side worked out. If you go the independent route, make sure you have enough cash to fund the business while it makes very little profit for the first year, and you have enough cash to live on for a couple of years. Sounds harsh, but most small business that fail can be traced back to not enough cash which leads to "skimping" which ultimately leads to failure and loss of everything you've put into the venture.

If you really want to do this, I suggest getting a job in a shop you would like to be like and see what the daily in's and out's are.

Being that you are in PA, keep in mind that you are most likely going to be seasonal, are you prepared to be slow or closed during the months when it's 20 degrees out and no one wants ice cream?

I worked at a bakery-cafe in Wayne, PA called Sweet Daddy's back in 1998-2000 and was their ice cream maker. I worked in a converted garage, inside a refrigerated room with a huge Italian-built ice cream machine and cranked out ice cream for the parlor and for many wholesale customers. In the summer when it was 99 out, it was great working in there, in the winter...not so much. We got a high-butterfat ice cream base from the Amish and it was really good stuff. I think we were 16% butterfat where Ben & Jerry's was 14%

Penn State University also has a course for making ice cream you can take, which may be good to pursue. You will learn everything there is to know about it, the science, the production, the business. The owners of Sweet Daddy's were going to send me to it, but it never panned out.

Ice Cream Short Course: Learn the ins and outs of ice cream manufacturing as knowledgeable instructors take you from "Cow to Cone" at the annual Penn State Ice Cream Short Course.