Founders of Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins was co-founded by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins, two brothers-in-law who merged their separate ice cream stores in 1948 to create a single brand focused on flavor variety and franchise expansion. Burt Baskin, who previously ran Burton's Ice Cream, and Irv Robbins, who ran Snowbird Ice Cream, combined their operations after Robbins suggested the merger to Baskin. The new company adopted the slogan "31 Flavors" to emphasize that customers could try a different flavor every day of the month, a positioning strategy that became central to the brand's identity according to Forbes.
The founding story of Baskin-Robbins highlights the complementary strengths of its two founders, with Robbins focused on customer experience and store-level branding while Baskin drove the operational systems and franchise model that allowed rapid growth. The first official Baskin-Robbins store opened in Glendale, California, after the merger, and the company quickly expanded across the United States by selling franchise licenses to local operators. By the 1960s, the brand had become one of the most recognized ice cream chains in the country, laying the groundwork for its later global reach on the official Baskin-Robbins website.
Baskin-Robbins Ownership and Corporate Structure
Early Corporate Evolution
The company remained under the control of the founding families and early management teams through the 1950s and 1960s before being acquired by larger food conglomerates as the ice cream industry consolidated. In 1967, the British conglomerate United Biscuits acquired Baskin-Robbins, marking the first major outside ownership change and signaling the brand's transition from a regional family business to a global franchise asset. United Biscuits later sold the chain to British-based Allied Lyons in 1973, which eventually became part of the large multinational food and beverage group that would oversee the brand for decades per SEC filings.
Today, Baskin-Robbins operates as a brand under the umbrella of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant and food company that acquired Dunkin' Brands, the former parent of Baskin-Robbins, in 2020. Inspire Brands, which also owns Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic Drive-In, manages the global franchise system and sets the strategic direction for Baskin-Robbins' international expansion and product innovation. The current ownership structure means the original founders' families no longer control the brand, but the company continues to use the Baskin-Robbins name and the 31 Flavors concept as core elements of its identity as reported by Forbes.
Global Reach and Franchise Model
Store Count and Geographic Spread
Baskin-Robbins operates more than 8,000 locations across more than 45 countries, making it one of the largest ice cream franchise networks in the world by store count. The brand's franchise model allows independent operators to run individual stores under the Baskin-Robbins name, using standardized menus, branding, and