What would life be without ice cream? Thanks to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, this won’t be a reality. As the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, they are responsible for bringing the young-at-heart funky ice cream flavors like Chunky Monkey and Vermont Vibe.
Cohen and Greenfield were childhood friends who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. With ice cream running in their veins – Cohen drove an ice cream truck in high school, while Greenfield worked as an ice cream scooper in college – the best friends decided to go into the food business together after pursuing individual careers.
The pair first considered making bagels, but decided that the cost of production equipment was just too much. Instead, they settled for ice cream. Armed only with knowledge learned from a $5 course on ice-cream making, they opened their first scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont in 1978 – a college town with no existing competition.
The original Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop became a community favorite, thanks to its rich ice cream flavor and creative mix. They also had effective campaigns and gimmicks, such as hosting a free film festival and giving away free scoops during their anniversary.
The ice cream kings opened their first non-Vermont store in 1983. Maine got a taste of their signature flavors that year, which included New York Super Fudge Chunk and Cherry Garcia. Cohen and Greenfield then expanded their business by making pints to sell to grocers. In 1987, their sales reached $32 million.
However, their sweet road to success also had moments of bitterness. One of the most infamous challenges the duo faced included a lawsuit with another ice cream giant, Häagen-Dazs. The challenges posed by a growing company also left the co-founders no choice but to hire a person with more business acumen.
Despite these challenges, Cohen and Greenfield continue to be prime movers of Ben & Jerry’s, an all-time American favorite.
No comments:
Post a Comment