Irvine Robbins Canadian-American businessman, founder of Baskin-Robbins Date of Birth: 06.12.1917 Country: USA

Biography of Irvin Robbins

Irvin Robbins, a Canadian-American businessman, was the founder of 'Baskin-Robbins', a well-known ice cream brand. He was born in 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Growing up, Irvin was surrounded by ice cream as his father owned a small store called 'The Olympic Store ice', where they sold ice cream made from by-products. He eagerly helped his parents serve customers and developed a love for the ice cream business.

Irvin studied political science at the University of Washington in Seattle and served in the army during World War II before being demobilized in 1945. In December 1945, he opened his own business, 'Snowbird Ice Cream', in Glendale, California, using the money he received for his bar mitzvah. Soon, Irvin convinced his sister's husband, Burt Baskin, to join him in the business, and this partnership marked the beginning of the empire now known as 'Baskin-Robbins'.

Starting from 1948, numerous ice cream cafes opened one after another, and the company went from being relatively unknown to achieving global fame. The initial concept was to offer "31 flavors" of ice cream, symbolizing a new taste for every day of the month. Remarkably, 'Baskin-Robbins' has created over 1000 flavors of ice cream to this day. The success of the business was also attributed to the creation of cafes where customers could stay and enjoy their favorite flavors in a pleasant atmosphere.

In the 1950s, the company developed its own uniforms and established a unified brand image. By the late 1950s, Baskin and Robbins had expanded beyond California and opened cafes in nearly every state in the USA. In the 1970s, the company entered the international market, but by then, Irvin had lost his son-in-law and partner, Burt Baskin, who passed away in 1967.

In the late 1980s, 'Baskin-Robbins' became available in Russia, while already operating in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and many others. Irvin Robbins always kept up with the times. In the 1990s, the company introduced non-fat ice cream in response to a global health trend. It also incorporated mandatory shows, children's parties, contests, quizzes, and prizes into its cafe program.

In terms of his personal life, Irvin married Irma Gevurtz in 1942, and they had three children together: Marsha, John, and Erin. In the 2000s, Irvin's health began to decline, and he passed away on May 5, 2008, after a prolonged illness at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. There was speculation that diabetes, possibly caused by excessive ice cream consumption, contributed to his death. However, this theory is not definitive. Irvin Robbins was 90 years old at the time of his passing.

Known for his wit, one of Irvin Robbins' famous quotes was, "I was damn lucky that I never studied accounting. If I had, I would have realized I was bankrupt. But instead, I thought everything was going well."