10 Things You Didn't Know About Baskin-Robbins
Who doesn't love Baskin-Robbins? Seriously, from the ice cream cakes to the seemingly endless array of flavors, it's just about impossible to dislike the world's largest chain of ice cream parlors. Here are 10 things you didn't know about it.
Offering 31 Flavors Was Revolutionary
Before Baskin-Robbins came around, ice cream parlors tended to only serve a handful of the usual flavors, like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Having 31 flavors (suggested so customers could try a different flavor every day of the month) was unheard-of, and nothing short of groundbreaking.
It Introduced Ice Cream Cakes to the Public
While today you can find ice cream cakes at chains including Carvel, Dairy Queen, Friendly's, and Cold Stone Creamery, Baskin-Robbins was the first to introduce them to the market, in the 1970s.
Those Little Pink Spoons Were a Very Big Deal
With 31 flavors come a whole lot of options, so the company decided to let potential customers sample as many as they wanted before buying. This was another first and a major selling point.
Baskin and Robbins' Franchise Model Is Still in Use
Baskin and Robbins decided to sell each of the existing stores to the managers when they merged in 1953, one of the earliest examples of franchising. The same plan developed by the founders is still in use today, with nearly 100 percent of all stores franchise-owned.
It Didn't Sell Ice Cream in Supermarkets Until 2014
The chain only recently decided to get into the supermarket game, with flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies 'n cream, and Jamoca almond fudge now available at grocery stores near you.
International Locations Sell Some Funky Flavors
If you visit international locations of Baskin-Robbins you'll discover that some flavors are custom-tailored to the market, including red bean and green tea in Asian markets.
The Company Has Created More than 1,000 Ice Cream Flavors
Over the years, more than 1,000 new ice cream flavors have come out of the Baskin-Robbins test kitchens, including favorites like pralines 'n cream, Jamoca almond fudge, and banana nut (a favorite of Howard Hughes). They even once dabbled with ketchup and bagels and lox-flavored ice creams, but those never made it past R&D!
Only Two Flavors Aren't Kosher
All but two flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream aren't kosher: pink bubble gum and rocky road. No word on what exactly is in them that's un-kosher, but it's most likely gelatin.
They’ve Broken Plenty of Guinness World Records
A New York franchisee named Mitch Cohen currently holds the Guinness world record for scooping 19 ice cream comes in one minute; 3,100 scoops of ice cream broke the record for "World's Largest Ice Cream Scoop Pyramid" in 2000; and the record for the largest cup of ice cream was broken in 2005 (in celebration of the company's 60th birthday), weighing in at 8,865 pounds.
Some Very Famous People Worked for Them
Barack Obama, Bobby Flay, Julia Roberts, Randy Quaid, and Rosie O'Donnell all scooped for Baskin-Robbins once upon a time. Sean "Diddy" Combs also starred in a commercial for the company at age two.