Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour facts for kids
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| Private by Parlour Enterprises in the U.S. | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Fate | Closure of last location |
| Founded | 1963 in Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Founder | Bob Farrell and Ken McCarthy |
| Defunct | 2019 |
| Headquarters | United States |
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Number of locations
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120 (1975) |
| Owner | Marcus Lemonis |
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour was a popular American restaurant chain. It was famous for its delicious ice cream and fun atmosphere. The first Farrell's opened in Portland, Oregon, in 1963. Sadly, the very last location closed its doors in Brea, California, in 2019.
History of Farrell's Ice Cream
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour was started by Bob Farrell and Ken McCarthy. This happened in Portland, Oregon, in 1963. The restaurants had a special theme from the early 1900s. Employees wore old-fashioned clothes and straw hats. Each place also had a player piano for music.
Birthday Fun and Growth
Farrell's became well-known for a special offer. They gave a free ice cream sundae to kids on their birthday. This made it a favorite spot for many families.
In 1972, a big company called Marriott Corporation bought Farrell's. By 1975, there were 120 Farrell's restaurants across the United States.
Changes and Closures
After a few years, sales started to go down. Many of the restaurants were sold in the 1980s. In 1982, Marriott sold the chain to a group of investors. By 1990, almost all Farrell's locations had closed down.
One of the last original Farrell's in Portland closed in 2001. It was known as The Original Portland Ice Cream Parlor. The very last original location closed in 2006 in Eugene, Oregon. It was called Pearl Street Ice Cream Parlour at that time.
Attempts to Return
In 2008, a company called Parlour Enterprises became the owner of the Farrell's brand. They worked with original founder Bob Farrell. They tried to bring Farrell's back.
They opened seven new Farrell's locations in California. These included places in Santa Clarita, Rancho Cucamonga, and Buena Park. By 2014, there were eight restaurants in total. One was in Hawaii and the rest were in California.
The last Farrell's in Hawaii closed in October 2016. It had been open for 10 years.
Financial Challenges and TV Show
By 2016, Farrell's was having money problems. They had to start closing restaurants that were not doing well. The Mission Viejo location closed in January 2016.
In April 2016, one Farrell's location changed its name to Lickity Split by Farrell's. It offered a simpler menu.
In August 2016, Farrell's was on a TV show called The Profit. On the show, a businessman named Marcus Lemonis made a deal. He wanted to help bring the famous restaurant back. He became the main owner of the Farrell's brand.
After this, some locations still closed. The Sacramento and Rancho Cucamonga locations closed in August 2016. The Santa Clarita location also closed later.
Marcus Lemonis closed the Buena Park location for updates. It reopened in August 2017. At this point, only the Buena Park and Brea locations were left.
The Buena Park location closed on December 30, 2018. This left Brea as the very last Farrell's. The Brea location closed on June 8, 2019. This meant there were no Farrell's restaurants left.
Farrell's Menu Highlights
The menu at Farrell's was printed like a newspaper. It had many choices. You could find appetizers, sandwiches, and burgers. They also had dozens of different sundaes. Malts, shakes, sodas, and floats were also available.
Special Sundaes
A fun tradition was the free sundae for anyone celebrating a birthday. Some sundaes were very big. They were meant for a whole group to share. The biggest one was called the "Zoo" sundae. Employees would carry it around the restaurant on a stretcher. They would even make ambulance siren sounds!
The menu also had a funny "Low-Calorie Diet" section. It was a joke for people who ate too much ice cream. It listed silly foods like "Bees Knees and Mosquito Knuckles." Underneath, it said, "Anything Worth Eating Has Calories."
Events in the News
Farrell's was sometimes mentioned in the news for unusual events.
Sacramento Accident (1972)
On September 24, 1972, a small jet plane crashed. It went off the runway at an airport in Sacramento, California. The plane crashed into the Farrell's ice cream parlour. This was a very sad event.
Torrance Plane Crash (1982)
On April 9, 1982, another small plane crashed. It happened in front of the Farrell's location in Torrance, California. The people in the plane died. No one on the ground was hurt.
Birthday List Story (1983)
In 1983, a government group bought Farrell's "Birthday Club" list. They used it to send warnings to young men. These warnings told them to sign up for the draft before their 18th birthday. Farrell's said the list was sold without their permission. The government then stopped using the list.
Buena Park Car Accident (2014)
In April 2014, a car went out of control. It crashed into people waiting outside the Farrell's in Buena Park, California. One person died and six others were hurt.
TV Show Feature (2016)
On August 23, 2016, the TV show The Profit showed Farrell's Ice Cream Parlours. The show talked about the company's money problems. As a result, Marcus Lemonis became the main owner of the Farrell's brand. He later took over the Buena Park location. However, that restaurant closed in late 2018.
On The Bob Newhart Show
The TV show The Bob Newhart Show had an episode called "Sorry, Wrong Mother." It made fun of how Farrell's employees would give a very loud birthday greeting. The ice cream employee in the show was played by John Ritter.
