Irvine Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins ice cream store chain,
dies at 90, daughter says

By ROBERT JABLON,AP
Posted: 2008-05-06 16:54:14

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Irvine Robbins, who as co-founder of Baskin-Robbins
brought Rocky Road, Pralines 'n Cream and other exotic ice cream
concoctions to every corner of America and places beyond, has died at
age 90.

Robbins had been ill for some time and died Monday at Eisenhower
Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, said his daughter Marsha
Veit.

While the company advertised that it offered 31 flavors, in fact it
has created more than 1,000 flavors, according to its Web site.

Generations of kids trooped to Baskin-Robbins stores to buy ice cream
flavors like Jamoca, Daiquiri Ice, Pink Bubblegum, Nuts to You and
Here Comes the Fudge.

"Frankly, I never met a flavor I didn't like," Robbins told The New
York Times in 1973.

Some were short-lived and created to mark specific events, such as
Lunar Cheesecake for the 1969 moon landings and Valley Forge Fudge for
the 1976 U.S. bicentennial.

When the Beatles were to arrive in the United States in 1964, a
reporter called to ask whether Baskin-Robbins was going to commemorate
the event with a new flavor.

Robbins didn't have a flavor planned but quickly replied, "Uh, Beatle
Nut, of course."

The flavor was created, manufactured and delivered in just five days,
according to the Web site.

Robbins opened his first ice cream store in Glendale, California, in
December 1945, following his discharge from the Army. He used $6,000
from a cashed-in insurance policy his father had given him for his bar
mitzvah.

Robbins offered 21 flavors at the store.

"In light of what Baskin-Robbins was to become, that first store was
incredibly amateurish," according to a biography by his daughter Veit.
"It was called 'Snowbird' because Robbins couldn't think of anything
else. The opening was delayed for a day because the paint on the floor
hadn't dried."

His cousin Sybil Hartfield bought $39 of the first day's sales of $53,
according to the biography.

His brother-in-law, the late Burton Baskin, opened his own ice cream
store in neighboring Pasadena a year later. By the end of the 1940s,
they had joined forces to create Baskin-Robbins. Robbins recalled they
used a flip of the coin to decide which name came first.

They also decided to sell their stores to managers, pioneering the
franchise concept for ice cream stores.

As corporate policy, employees were allowed to eat all the ice cream
they wanted, because, Robbins said, "I don't want my employees
stealing."

Robbins was dedicated to upholding the quality of his ice cream
regardless of the cost, his daughter said.

"Everybody has a proprietary interest in ice cream," Robbins told the
Times for the 1973 story. "All you have to do is mention ice cream and
everybody has a flavor."

Baskin-Robbins was sold to United Fruit Co. in 1967, but Robbins
continued to work for the company until retiring in the 1970s.

Today, Baskin-Robbins is part of Dunkin' Brands Inc. and has more than
5,800 franchises worldwide.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his wife, Irma; another
daughter, Erin Robbins; a son, John Robbins; and sisters Shirley
Familian and Elka Weiner. His son is a noted author ("Diet for a New
America") and advocate of vegetarianism and natural foods.


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Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
05/06/08 16:45 EDT
---

On May 7, 7:09*am, Sheldon wrote:
. . ."Everybody has a proprietary interest in ice cream," Robbins
told the
Times for the 1973 story. "All you have to do is mention ice cream
and
everybody has a flavor."
================================================== ==========
from the seventies/eighties "Here Come the Nuts" - plain vanilla
loaded with (lightly salted) mixed nuts (no peanuts , if I remember
correctly.) I might have the name wrong.
Lynn in Fargo
(also Dacquri Ice)

On May 7, 11:32�am, Lynn from Fargo wrote:
On May 7, 7:09�am, Sheldon wrote:
�. . ."Everybody has a proprietary interest in ice cream," Robbins
told the
Times for the 1973 story. "All you have to do is mention ice cream
and
everybody has a flavor."
================================================== ==========
from the seventies/eighties "Here Come the Nuts" - plain vanilla
loaded with (lightly salted) mixed nuts (no peanuts , if I remember
correctly.) I might have the name wrong.
Lynn in Fargo
(also Dacquri Ice)

My favorite was Mandarin Chocolate.

On May 7, 1:32*pm, "l, not -l" wrote:
On *7-May-2008, Sheldon wrote:

from the seventies/eighties "Here Come the Nuts" - plain vanilla
loaded with (lightly salted) mixed nuts (no peanuts , if I remember
correctly.) I might have the name wrong.
Lynn in Fargo
(also Dacquri Ice)

My favorite was Mandarin Chocolate.

Make mine Baseball Nut
--
Change Cujo to Juno in email address.

======================================
Baseball Nut had a raspberry ribbon but I forget what kind of nuts. I
loved that too.
Lynn in Fargo - no B/R here anymore :-(

On Wed, 7 May 2008 08:32:30 -0700 (PDT), Lynn from Fargo
wrote:

On May 7, 7:09*am, Sheldon wrote:
. . ."Everybody has a proprietary interest in ice cream," Robbins
told the
Times for the 1973 story. "All you have to do is mention ice cream
and
everybody has a flavor."
================================================= ===========
from the seventies/eighties "Here Come the Nuts" - plain vanilla
loaded with (lightly salted) mixed nuts (no peanuts , if I remember
correctly.) I might have the name wrong.
Lynn in Fargo
(also Dacquri Ice)

i have fond memories of champagne grape ice from when i was a sprout.

your pal,
blake