Founded in 1945 in Glendale, California, Baskin Robbins is the largest global chain of ice cream specialty shops. It retains the values of its neighborhood ice cream parlors. Burton Baskin and Irvine Robbins, brothers-in-law who had their ice cream parlors, decided to merge the entities and launched a new business in the name of Baskin-Robbins that became an ideal family-friendly ice cream shop. In the beginning, there were six shops across Southern California. Then the company started hiring managers to infuse personal creativity and bring ownership interest to each location. Thus began the growth story of the brand with the purchase of its first dairy production facility in 1949 in Burbank, California. The year 1953 is a milestone in the brand’s history as the world witnessed the formation of ‘Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream’ by merging individual shops.
Baskin Robbins – Leveraging a unique concept
The idea behind the creation of ‘Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream’ was to leverage the unique concept of offering a different ice cream flavor every day during the month. The company roped in the advertising firm Carson-Roberts which later became a part of Ogilvy & Mather, to pen the slogan ’31 flavors’ accompanied by the brand’s logo. The selection of Baskin Robbins flavors has grown through the years, and the brand’s flavor library boasts more than 1,300 flavors that are part of the extensive Baskin Robbins menu.
By the 1960s, the brand had more than 400 stores across the United States. And it was during this time that the company decided to spread its operations across international boundaries. The expansion started during the 1970s, and shops were opened in South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. During this time, Robbins and his wife Irma created the Pralines ‘n cream flavor that remains the top-selling international flavor. The company continued its expansion, and now there are more than 8,000 shops and restaurants in 52 countries, with a footfall of more than 300 million guests every year.
A brand is driven by innovation
Innovation has been the hallmark of the company that maintains a leadership position in the ice cream industry. The chain spruced up its better-for-you options by introducing its Bright Choices lineup. It includes dairy-free, no-sugar, reduced-fat ice cream flavors as well as hard-scoop frozen yogurt. Moreover, adding a new flavor each month has been a tradition of the brand so that guests have something new to look forward to and taste it with delight by using the brand’s iconic pink spoon.
Besides ice creams, the brand has made a name for itself with ice cream cakes. In 2015, the Pinata Pumpkin Patch Cake was the first item of the new range that consisted of layers of cake and ice cream with a candy piece at the center, which spread out during the cutting of the cake. The Baskin Robbins ice cream cake comes in new designs, such as the recently included Teddy Bear Cake, a Valentine’s Day special.
From time to time, Baskin Robbins brings back fan favorites like the Polar Pizza Ice Cream Treat.
