The Icee Company facts for kids
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| Industry | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder | Omar Knedlik |
| Headquarters | , |
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Key people
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Dan Fachner (CEO) |
| Products | Frozen soda, Italian ice |
| Brands | Icee, Slush Puppie |
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Number of employees
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>1000 (2020) |
| Parent | J & J Snack Foods |
The Icee Company is an American company that makes yummy frozen drinks. It's based in La Vergne, Tennessee, USA. Their most famous drink is the ICEE, a super cold, fizzy drink that comes in fruit and soda flavors.
They also make other frozen treats and Italian ice pops, including the Slush Puppie brand. Their friendly mascot is ICEE Bear, a cool polar bear!
Omar Knedlik started The Icee Company. He invented the first ICEE drink. His invention even helped create the famous Slurpee! The 7-Eleven store chain bought some of his machines in 1965. Since 1988, The Icee Company has been part of J & J Snack Foods. They sell their products in many countries, like the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Contents
How the ICEE Drink Was Invented
The ICEE drink was invented in 1958 by a man named Omar Knedlik. He owned a Dairy Queen restaurant in Coffeyville, Kansas. One day, his soda machine broke down. To keep his sodas cold, he put the bottles in the freezer.
When customers opened these bottles, the soda would instantly turn into a slushy drink. People loved this frozen soda! It became very popular at his restaurant.
The Name and Mascot
A local artist and friend of Knedlik, Ruth E. Taylor, helped create the name "Icee." She also came up with the idea for the icicles hanging from the letters in the logo. This logo design is still used today!
The idea for the polar bear mascot also came from Ruth. However, the actual design of the bear was created by an advertising agency called Norsworthy-Mercer.
The First ICEE Machine
Knedlik worked with the John E Mitchell Company to build a special machine for his frozen drink. He received a patent for his invention in 1960. The very first ICEE machine was made from parts of a car's air conditioning unit.
This machine mixed freezing water, carbon dioxide (which makes drinks fizzy), and flavor syrup. After five years, Knedlik's idea became the well-known ICEE Machine.
Partnership with 7-Eleven
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain noticed how popular the ICEE machines were. They bought several machines from Knedlik's company. Later, 7-Eleven changed the name of their frozen drink to "Slurpee." They chose this name because of the slurping sound people make when they drink it.
By the mid-1960s, 300 ICEE machines had been made. The Mitchell Company set up a plan to let other businesses use and sell ICEE machines and drinks.
Company Changes
J & J Snack Foods bought The Icee Company in 1987. In December 2019, the company moved its main office. It moved from Ontario, California to La Vergne, Tennessee.
ICEE Products and Where to Find Them
Delicious Drinks
The Icee Company has more than 75,000 ICEE machines across America. They serve over 300 million ICEE drinks every year! You can find ICEEs in many places. Some McDonald's and Subway restaurants inside Walmart stores sell them.
Burger King restaurants and Sam’s Club cafes in the US also sell ICEEs and ICEE Floats. In Mexico, ICEE drinks are popular in department stores like Walmart, movie theaters, and convenience stores.
ICEE is also the main frozen drink sold at Wawa and Quick Chek stores. These are two popular convenience store chains in the Mid-Atlantic part of the US. You can also find ICEEs at most Rainforest Café locations.
In 2019, ICEE drinks became available in the United Kingdom for the first time. They partnered with a UK drink maker called Vimto. Soon after, they made deals to supply ICEE to Cineworld and Showcase Cinemas across Europe.
Fun Toys
In January 2020, a toy company called Moose Toys teamed up with ICEE's Slush Puppie brand. They made special Slush Puppie-themed Shopkins toys and Mini Packs. These were part of the Shopkins franchise. The same toys were released again in 2021.
In 2021, Moose Toys also partnered with ICEE to make Shopkins and Mini Packs based on the main ICEE drinks. These toys were released in October 2021.
See also
In Spanish: The ICEE Company para niños
