Irv Robbins

Irvine " Irv " Robbins (December 6, 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; † 5 May, 2008 Rancho Mirage, California, USA) was co-founder of the Canadian-American ice cream parlor chain, Baskin- Robbins.

Biography

Robbins was born in 1917 in Canada, son of a dairy farm and Eiscafébesitzers. His father Aaron Ernie entertained the ice cream parlor under the name The Olympic Store in Tacoma, Washington. Already as a teenager Robbins worked in the ice cream parlor with.

In 1942 he met Burt Baskin know, who married his sister Shirley Ernie. The two became friends quickly.

After Robbins 1945 had completed his service in the United States Army, he founded his own ice cream parlor Snowbird Ice Cream in Glendale ( California). Four more followed. In 1948, he joins forces with Burt Baskin, who joined with three shops. Since the newly established stores took more time to complete, the two founders decided to run the stores as franchises. They were one of the first with this business idea. The success of the Ice Chain based on the daily change of the ice and the "invention" of new ice cream flavors.

In 1953, the company then took the name Baskin - Robbins. The order of the names was determined by coin toss. In 1967 the company was sold for 12 million U.S. dollars to the United Fruit Company. About six months later, Robbins dies partner of a heart attack. Robbins himself remained eleven years more part of the company and went into retirement in 1978.

On 5 May 2008 Robbins died after a long illness. He leaves behind a wife and three children. One of his sons, John Robbins, the family tradition resisted. He was a vegan and author of the 1987 published book " Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness and the Future of Life on Earth". Subsequently, he founded the non-profit organization " Save Earth ".