Irv Robbins (born 1917 in Winnipeg Canada founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1945 with his partner and brother-in-law Burt Baskin. His father, Aaron Ernie, owned a dairy and ice cream business in Tacoma. The ice cream store was called The Olympic Store and was located at 954 Court C in Tacoma. Irv Robbins attended the University of Washington (Seattle). After serving in the USArmy, he was discharged August 1945, and was able to follow up on a dream of many years, and open up his own ice cream store -- one that sold nothing but ice cream, with an inventory ... hard to believe at the time ... of 31 flavors. It opened Dec. 7, 1945 in Glendale California. Burton Baskin owned a men's store in the Palmer House, Chicago, IL, and married Irv's sister in 1943. He had enlisted in the Navy and was released from service early 1946 and came to California, where Irv convinced him that selling ice cream was more fun than selling men's ties & shirts, and within a couple of months he opened a store in Pasadena at 561 So. Lake. By 1948 they had eight stores between them, yet the partners were concerned because while business was booming, profits were declining. They finally came to the conclusion that because of the new stores they had opened, they were devoting less and less time to each individual store. It became obvious that the store managers did not give the customers the "loving care," watch the portion control, or keep the stores as spotless as Irv and Burt did, which ultimately resulted in declining profits. At this point, without realizing that they were making history by their decision, they decided to sell the stores to the managers, who would then, as owners, give the cusstomers that "tender loving care" that was missing. They made an agreement with the new store owners, which became "franchise agreements" and they became the first food company ever to franchise their outlets. Little did the McDonalds and Burger Kings of the future know, but the idea took hold in other retail establishments, and the age of "Franchising" was underway. Once they were growing rapidly with the franchising concept, they joined forces, and became Baskin Robbins 31 Ice Cream Co. 25 years later it had become the world's largest chain of ice cream stores, eventually having over 5500 outlets around the world. Irv and his wife Irma had three children: Marsha, John and Erin. (John Robbins is a renowned author of diet books and a Veganism advocate.) Burton and his wife Shirley had two children, Edie & Richard. Burton Baskin died in Dec. 1967. Irvine Robbins retired in 1978, having sold the business to United Fruit Co. He now resides in Rancho Mirage, California.
