Founded in 1945 in Glendale, California, Baskin-Robbins has grown to become the
world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops while staying true to its
neighborhood ice cream parlor values. Baskin-Robbins was co-founded by brothers-in-law and ice cream
enthusiasts Irvine “Irv” Robbins and Burton “Burt” Baskin. Robbins worked in his father’s ice cream shops
as a teen, while Baskin produced ice
cream for his fellow U.S. Upon Burt’s return from war, the entrepreneurs made their vision of creating a family-friendly ice cream
shop a reality. The pair ran a shared total of six shops across Southern California before continuing their growth and
hiring managers to bring ownership interest and personal creativity to each location. In 1949, they
purchased their first dairy production facility in Burbank, California, where
they began experimenting with new ingredients and flavors. In 1953, their
separate shops merged to create “Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream,” which
leveraged the unique concept of offering a different ice cream flavor for
each of the 31 days of the month. This selection has since grown to
encompass more than 1,300 flavors in the brand’s flavor library. By the mid-1960s, Baskin-Robbins had grown to more than 400 United
States restaurants, and in the 1970s the chain began expanding
internationally. Shops were opened in Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and
Australia. It was during this time that Irv Robbins and his wife Irma created
the top-selling Pralines ‘n Cream flavor in the kitchen of their California
home, which is the best-selling flavor internationally. Baskin-Robbins has continued to expand and now
has more than 8,000 restaurants in nearly 52 countries, with over 300 million guests visiting locations
around the globe every year. Baskin-Robbins continues to be an innovation leader in the ice cream industry. In 2009, the chain
introduced its BRight Choices® lineup of better-for-you options, which includes hard scoop frozen yogurt
as well as light, reduced-fat, no sugar added and dairy-free ice cream flavors. The brand also continues to
offer a new Flavor of the Month each month, so guests always have something new to try with BaskinRobbins’ iconic pink spoon. The brand also continues to innovate on the ice cream cakes front. In 2015, Baskin-Robbins introduced its
Piñata Pumpkin Patch Cake, which featured layers of ice cream and cake with a candy piece center which
cascades out when the cake is cut. Baskin-Robbins also continues to unveil fun and creative new ice cream
cake designs on a regular basis, including its recent Teddy Bear Cake for Valentine’s Day and Polar Bear
Cake for the winter season. From time to time, the brand also brings back fan favorites from its deep
freeze, such as its Polar Pizza® Ice Cream Treat, which was popular and offered shortly in the 1990s. Guests
can now chose to customize their Polar Pizza in-store or online, or chose from five featured varieties
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including Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Jamoca® Almond Fudge and HEATH®, Mint Chocolate Chip,
OREO® Cookies ‘N Cream, and Peanut Butter ‘n Chocolate REESE’S® Peanut Butter Cup.
