Baskin-Robbins

• 1. Fourteen Hundred Flavors

  ›

  Baskin-Robbins has introduced more than 1,400 flavors since it opened its first shop in 1945. That is an enormous catalog for a business that began with two men and a few small stores in Southern California. Today the chain is owned by Inspire Brands and is the largest chain of ice cream specialty stores in the world, with more than 7,800 locations. How did a pair of brothers-in-law persuade American customers to look beyond the familiar scoops? Why does one particular number sit at the center of the brand? And how did a company that began with two independent shops come to be passed between dairy firms, brewers and private equity investors?

  241620

• 2. Two Brothers-in-Law

  ›

  Throughout the 1940s, two Americans named Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins independently opened ice cream shops in Southern California. They were brothers-in-law, and both already knew the trade. Robbins had worked as a teenager in his father's ice cream shop. Baskin had made ice cream for his fellow navymen during World War II.

  In the 1940s, American customers were deeply attached to three flavors: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Another businessman, Howard Johnson, had tried to widen their tastes, with limited success. Into that conservative market, Robbins opened Snowbird Ice Cream in Glendale in 1945. His shop sold 21 flavors, which was an unusual number at the time.

  Baskin followed in 1946 with Burton's Ice Cream Shop in Pasadena. The partners expanded quickly. By 1948 they collectively had 6 stores, and by 1949 that figure had grown to more than 40. That year their businesses were closely associated, and they bought a dairy in Burbank to take more control over how the ice cream was made. Four years later, they would give up their separate brand identities altogether.

  1013819

• 3. The Magic Number

  ›

  In 1953, on the advice of the advertising firm Carson/Roberts, the partners created a single entity called "Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream." The order of the two surnames was settled by a coin toss. The agency later merged into Ogilvy & Mather.

  The "31" was a promise about variety. With 31 flavors on offer, a customer could try a different one every day of any month. Some of the original flavors included Chocolate Mint, Black Walnut and Coffee Candy.

  The idea became part of the logo as well. The letters "B" and "R" are drawn so that they form a stylized "31". In 2006 the "BR" logo was updated to highlight the number more clearly.

  As the pair expanded, they began franchising their stores, which let the formula travel well beyond Southern California.

  1089113

• 4. Clowns and Polka Dots

  ›

  Pink and brown polka dots covered the walls of early Baskin-Robbins shops, and clowns decorated them as well. The look was meant to reflect a value of fun.

  The stores also introduced small sampling spoons, so customers could taste a flavor before choosing. Many ice cream stores have since copied the idea.

  Baskin-Robbins also differed from the old-fashioned ice cream parlors and soda fountains that came before it. It did not encourage customers to sit and eat inside its stores. The focus was on the scoop and the choice of flavor.

  The founders themselves would hold on to the company only until 1967.

  1381019

• 5. Passing Through Many Hands

  ›

  In 1967, just before Baskin's death, the founders sold the company to the United Fruit Company for an estimated $12 million. Between 1949 and 1962 the corporate firm had been known as the Huntington Ice Cream Company. It took back the name Baskin-Robbins, Inc. on the 26th of November 1962.

  In 1972 the company went public, when United Brands sold 17% in an initial public offering. The next year J. Lyons and Co. bought Baskin-Robbins and all of its public stock. That firm then merged with Allied Breweries in 1978 to become Allied-Lyons.

  Allied-Lyons merged with Pedro Domecq S.A. in 1994 and became Allied Domecq. The following year Baskin-Robbins was grouped with Dunkin' Donuts under the name Dunkin' Brands, Inc.

  The early 2000s were hard, and the chain struggled to hold on to business. In 2006 a group of private equity firms bought Dunkin' Brands. They were Bain Capital, Thomas H. Lee Partners and The Carlyle Group. Dunkin' Brands became independent of them in 2012.

  In December 2020 Inspire Brands purchased Dunkin' Brands. Today the company's headquarters are in Canton, Massachusetts, and are shared with its sibling brand Dunkin' Donuts.

  316172010

• 6. Around the World

  ›

  Baskin-Robbins began opening stores abroad in the 1970s, with shops in Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Australia. As of 2025 the chain had more than 8,000 shops in places as varied as Aruba, Bhutan, Egypt, Estonia, Spain, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

  International shops carry flavors that suit local tastes. Examples include Red Bean, Litchi Gold, Blackcurrant and Cantaloupe. In Asia, the most popular flavors are Mint Chocolate Chip and Cookies & Cream.

  In Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, India and several other Asian countries, people know the brand simply as "31" or "31 ice cream."

  Not every market has lasted. Baskin-Robbins has previously been present in countries including Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa and the Philippines. Cambodia has no Baskin-Robbins shops, yet its products are officially sold through an Au Bon Pain bakery franchise.

  Australia took a different path in October 2010. Dunkin' Brands ended its license agreement with the collapsed Allied Brands Group and began supporting Australian franchisees directly. The Franchise Support & Training Centre for Australia is based in Brisbane.

  In 2015 the chain opened in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a total of eight shops.

  2426252729

• 7. Freezer Aisles and Delivery

  ›

  In the mid-2010s, new Baskin-Robbins stores often opened as co-branded shops alongside Dunkin' Donuts. In 2014 the brand sold ice cream in American supermarkets for the first time.

  Three years later, Baskin-Robbins began selling through the delivery platform DoorDash in 22 US cities. In 2019 the menu gained vegan and non-dairy flavors.

  In 2022 the chain debuted an updated logo, along with a new tagline, "Seize the Yay."

  The long list of people who have worked behind the counter includes two notable former employees, Chris Buck and Barack Obama.

  191821623