Do you remember the good ol’ days of Baskin-Robbins ice cream? Yeah, those were the times, weren’t they? Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember the origin story of the classic ice cream shop that served America with 31 flavors of pure joy.
Baskin-Robbins was originally founded as Burton’s Ice Cream Shop in Glendale, California, in 1945 by brothers-in-law Bert Baskin and Irv Robbins. Ice cream was in their blood! Robbins worked in his father’s ice cream shops as a teenager, while Baskin produced ice cream for his Navy shipmates during World War II. After the war, they each operated their own ice cream shops and eventually merged the two, settling on a delightful 31 different flavors.
Their ice cream shops quickly grew to six, and managing all of them became too much for the duo. So, they decided to sell the shops as franchises to the managers. In 1953, they brought all their shops under one name, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream. They hired the advertising firm Carson Roberts, who established the iconic pink and brown aesthetics and the big 31, which is still synonymous with the brand today.
The stores quickly grew to over 400 in the United States. Fun fact: Irv Robbins and his wife concocted the top-selling flavor, Pralines, and Cream, right in their kitchen! Its founders owned Baskin-Robbins until 1967 when United Brands Company purchased it.
The 1970s and 80s saw continued expansion, with new stores opening every day. During this time, ownership passed to different companies through various corporate mergers, eventually landing with Dunkin’ Donuts as part of Dunkin’ Brands.
During the 2000s, Baskin-Robbins faced stiff competition, mainly due to the introduction of frozen yogurt. But they managed to stay afloat, and today, many Baskin-Robbins are co-branded with Dunkin’ Donuts, and new stores continue to open.
Are you ready to take a trip back to the good old days? Check out this video on YouTube showcasing Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream’s history. Like and share it with your friends because it’s a delightful reminder of the simple pleasures in life!
