Baskin-Robbins facts for kids
Fifth and current logo used in the U.S. since April 11, 2022. Notice there is a 31 on the pink side.
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A Baskin-Robbins on Melrose Avenue (now closed) in Los Angeles, California, on September 26, 2007
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food and Beverage |
| Founded | 1945 (as Burton's Ice Cream Shop) Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | 130 Royall Street Canton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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7,700 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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David Hoffmann (chairman and CEO, Dunkin' Brands) |
| Products |
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| Revenue |  US$160 million (2019) |
| Parent | Inspire Brands |
Baskin-Robbins is a very popular American company. It is famous for selling delicious ice cream and cakes. A company called Inspire Brands owns Baskin-Robbins today.
Baskin-Robbins started in 1945 in Glendale, California. It was created by two friends and family members, Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins. Their main office is now in Canton, Massachusetts. Baskin-Robbins is the biggest chain of ice cream shops in the world. It has more than 8,000 locations all over the globe!
The company is well-known for its "31 flavors" idea. This means you could try a different ice cream flavor every day of the month! If you look closely at their logo, you can see the number "31" hidden in the letters "B" and "R". This clever idea came from an advertising agency in 1953. Since 1945, Baskin-Robbins has created over 1,300 different flavors. They even added vegan and non-dairy options in 2019.
Contents
How Baskin-Robbins Started
Baskin-Robbins was created in 1945 by two brothers-in-law, Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins. They decided to combine their own ice cream shops in Glendale, California.
Burt Baskin learned a lot about making ice cream when he was in the military. After the war, in 1946, he opened his own shop. It was called Burton's Ice Cream Shop.
Irv Robbins also had experience with ice cream. As a teenager, he worked at an ice cream counter in his father's store. In 1945, he used $6,000 to open his own place. He named it Snowbird Ice Cream.
In 1948, Burt and Irv decided to join their businesses. They named their new company Baskin-Robbins. Snowbird Ice Cream used to have 21 flavors. When they merged, they increased the number of flavors to 31.
By 1948, Baskin and Robbins had opened six stores together. They started letting other people open Baskin-Robbins shops as franchises. This means people could pay to use the Baskin-Robbins name and ideas. The very first franchise opened on May 20, 1948, in Glendale.
In 1949, the company opened a factory in Burbank. This factory was built to make all their ice cream. Baskin and Robbins decided to sell their stores to the people who managed them. In 1953, they worked with an advertising company. This company suggested the "31" idea and the famous pink and brown colors. These colors and the style of writing reminded people of a circus. The first store to use this new look opened in Glendale in March 1953.
Growing Bigger: A Timeline
For a while, the company was known as Huntington Ice Cream Company. But in 1962, they changed the name back to Baskin-Robbins, Inc. The founders owned Baskin-Robbins until 1967. Then, a company called United Fruit bought it. This happened just before Burt Baskin passed away.
In the 1970s, Baskin-Robbins started opening stores in other countries. They opened shops in places like Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Australia.
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In 1972, part of the company's stock was sold to the public. A year later, a British food company bought Baskin-Robbins. This company later merged with others, becoming Allied Domecq. Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts became part of a group called Dunkin' Brands, Inc.. In 2006, Dunkin' Brands was bought by a group of investment companies.
In 2006, the "BR" logo was updated. The new design cleverly made the "B" and "R" letters form the number "31". The "31" part was made pink, while the rest of the logo was blue. This highlighted the "31 flavors" idea.
By August 2012, Dunkin' Brands became fully independent. This means it was no longer owned by the investment companies.
In the early 2000s, Baskin-Robbins faced some challenges. But they started to grow again, opening 36 new shops between 2013 and 2015. Many new Baskin-Robbins stores are now combined with Dunkin' Donuts. This means you can get both coffee and ice cream in one place! The first combined store in California opened in San Diego in 2014.
In 2014, Baskin-Robbins also started selling its ice cream in supermarkets across the U.S. In 2017, they began working with DoorDash. This allowed customers to get Baskin-Robbins ice cream delivered to their homes in many cities.
In December 2020, Inspire Brands bought Dunkin' Brands, which includes Baskin-Robbins. On April 11, 2022, Baskin-Robbins revealed a new logo and a new slogan: "Seize the Yay."
Did you know that Chris Buck (a famous film director) and even former U.S. President Barack Obama used to work at Baskin-Robbins?
Baskin-Robbins Around the World
Baskin-Robbins has more than 8,000 stores in many countries. These include places like Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and many more!
When Baskin-Robbins opens in a new country, they often create special ice cream flavors. These flavors are made to suit what people in that country enjoy. For example, you might find flavors like Red Bean, Litchi Gold, Blackcurrant, or Cantaloupe. In Asia, some of the most popular flavors are Mint Chocolate Chip and Cookies & Cream.
Baskin-Robbins used to have stores in other countries too, like Mexico and Russia. In some places, like Japan, Taiwan, China, and the Philippines, Baskin-Robbins is often just called "31" or "31 ice cream."
Baskin-Robbins in Australia
Baskin-Robbins Australia is directly managed by Inspire Brands. This is the same company that owns Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin'. In 2010, Dunkin' Brands took over supporting its Australian stores directly. The main office for Baskin-Robbins Australia is in Brisbane.
Images for kids
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A Baskin-Robbins store in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.
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Delicious Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
See also
