In Toronto, a professionally staffed ice cream cart starts at $1,500. That's Lalu Fun Foods' published minimum spend, and it covers the cart, two to three uniformed staff, setup, service, teardown, and custom branding — typically a compact branded station serving 100–200 guests. From there, price scales with guest count, event length, and how custom the build gets. Almost nobody in this industry publishes numbers, so here's the honest breakdown.
What the starting price includes
- The cart itself — a cold display cart or our signature Lalu Trike, with ice cream scooped or swirled to order.
- Two to three uniformed Lalu staff, depending on event size.
- Custom branded cups, sleeves, and cart signage at no extra cost.
- All equipment and supplies — serving utensils, napkins, the lot.
- Full setup, service, and teardown, handled end to end.
- A Certificate of Insurance (COI) on request for your venue — we're fully insured.
What moves the price up
- Guest count — the base station is sized for roughly 100–200 guests; bigger crowds mean more product and more staff.
- Duration — a four-hour reception and a multi-day festival residency are very different programs.
- Multiple stations or menu items — pairing the cart with a second product (donuts, slushies, a mocktail bar) adds scope.
- Custom fabrication — fully custom builds, vinyl wraps, and bespoke styling go beyond included branding.
- Travel — we serve the GTA as standard; events beyond it are quoted on request.
For context, the budget bands on our own inquiry form run from $1,500–$3,000 for a compact single-cart booking up to $50,000+ for full multi-activation programs. Most single-cart events sit at the lower end of that scale.
Weddings vs. corporate events: what changes
At a wedding, the cart is a dessert-bar moment: gelato scooped to order in branded or styled cups, with vegan, sorbet, and gluten-free options available so every guest is covered. Couples usually brand the cups to the wedding rather than a logo — names, a date, a motif.
At a corporate event, the conversation is about throughput and logistics. Our stations are engineered for high-volume service without queue bottlenecks, footprints are compact and venue-friendly for lobbies and office buildings with strict load-in rules, and pre-built units roll in through service corridors on a hard call time. For Fidelity Investments, a single-day program served 1,000 employees in their downtown Toronto office lobby.
Which cart, and which ice cream?
- Amore Gelato — rich gelato scooped to order from a cold display cart or the Lalu Trike; the classic wedding and corporate pick.
- Luv Swirl — customizable soft serve with custom colours and finishes to match a brand or theme.
- Ice Cream in a Fruit — DOLE® Soft Serve served in fresh pineapple, coconut, and watermelon shells; dairy-free, fat-free, and gluten-free by default.
- Nitro Luv Lab — liquid nitrogen ice cream made live in front of guests, for events that want a show.
Ice cream cart cost FAQ
Is there a minimum spend for an ice cream cart rental?
Yes — $1,500 per event. It covers setup, staffing, service, and customization, and exists because every booking carries preparation, travel, and execution costs regardless of size.
How far in advance should I book?
Most events book four to eight weeks ahead. Turnkey single-cart bookings can come together in 3–4 weeks, and we can often accommodate last-minute dates depending on availability — reach out either way.
Can the cart be branded to my company or wedding?
Yes, and it's included: custom cups, sleeves, and cart signage come at no extra cost. For fully wrapped carts styled to a campaign — like the Sephora activation above — custom fabrication is quoted per brief.
Do you serve outside Toronto?
We're based in Toronto and regularly serve the whole GTA — Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Brampton, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York, and Richmond Hill. Travel beyond the GTA is possible on request.
Want a real number for your date? Send the date, venue, and approximate guest count — we reply the same business day with pricing, flavor recommendations, and cart configuration options.
