There's simply no question about it — everyone loves ice cream. Whether I'm craving regular old vanilla or a truly out-there flavor, I know Ben & Jerry's will do the trick.
Their flavors are so unique, it can be hard to say no to a cone. It's even harder to say no on Free Cone Day, an annual event that may as well be considered a national holiday.
But this company wasn't always on the top of the market. Ben and Jerry started out as two friends with a very different vision for what they wanted their business to be.
After a long, winding road, the two buddies arrived where they are today. But along the way, they accumulated some pretty fascinating tidbits of trivia about their company.
Did you know these 12 facts about Ben & Jerry's before? Who knew that while you were taking in those delicious, sweet spoonfuls, there was so much history behind it all?
Please SHARE these sweet tidbits with your fellow dessert lovers.
Thumbnail source: Ben & Jerry's
1. Employees Get The Ultimate Samples
Every employee gets three pints for themselves each day!
2. Ben And Jerry Are Old, Old Friends
Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield, the founders, met in seventh-grade gym class because they were the slowest ones on the track.
3. They Are All About Fun
There is a treehouse and slide located in the corporate office, and they're both used often.
4. They Take Suggestions
Chocolate chip cookie dough was invented thanks to an anonymous customer suggestion at their first shop.
5. They've Always Packaged Unique Flavors
The first pints produced were Oreo Mint, French Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Wild Blueberry, Mocha Walnut, Maple Walnut, Honey Coffee, and Honey Orange.
6. They Have Strange Methods
When they first got started, Jerry used to drop boxes of toffee from the top of a ladder and use the shattered pieces in the Coffee Heath Bar Crunch flavor.
7. They Believe In Being Different
Every scoop shop is unique, with one in Newport, RI, sitting on stilts above water.
8. They Pack In The Ice Cream
Each cone has an average of 259 squares. The indents make the cones able to contain more ice cream. Yum!
9. They Used To Serve More Than Ice Cream
Soup, pottery, and crepes were sold along with the ice cream at the original Ben & Jerry's location.
10. They Are Very Selective
Chocolate Therapy and Oatmeal Cookie Chunk are the only Limited Batch flavors that were ever made into permanent options.
11. They Know How To Say "Thanks"
The first Free Cone Day was in 1979, a year after opening, as a way to say thanks to the customers for helping them get through the year.
12. They See The Bigger Picture
All of the brownie chunks come from Greyston Bakery, a company that employs folks who have faced challenges with employment in the past.
What's your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor? Please SHARE with family and friends on Facebook!
