About
Back in ’66, in a school gym class, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were brought together by a special bond…they both hated running but loved food. Years later in 1978, Ben had been fired from a series of McJobs while Jerry had failed for the second time to get into medical school. So, armed with a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making, they opened their very first scoop shop in a dilapidated gas station in downtown Burlington, Vermont.
They soon became popular in the local community for the finest ice cream. Ben had no sense of taste so he relied on what he called ‘mouth feel’, so big chunks of chocolate, fruit and nut became their signature. While they disagreed at times over the chunk size, they did agree that they wanted to enjoy themselves – as Jerry put it ‘if it’s not fun, why do it?’.
In the early days the boys were pretty bad at book-keeping. After two months they closed the store and hung a sign that said ‘we’re closed to figure out whether we’re making any money’. And they weren’t. But they learned a lot and by 1979, began wholesaling pints of ice cream out of Ben’s VW campervan.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Benefits
What does it mean to be a Ben & Jerry’s franchisee? It means you are a totally-devoted, head-over-heels Ben & Jerry’s nut. You live for euphoric super-premium ice cream. You live for serving customers. And you live for giving back to the community.
Being a Ben & Jerry’s franchisee is about rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. It’s working nights and weekends and loving it. It’s about teaching teenagers how to be good employees, knowing some will drive you crazy and others will be friends for life. It’s crafting marketing plans, scooping at special events, creating amazing cakes, poring over P&L’s …and scrubbing the bathroom toilets.
To be a Ben & Jerry’s franchisee is to challenge yourself to operate a socially responsible business in every way possible. Our franchisees uphold our three-part mission statement. They believe in our values and they aren’t afraid to stand up for something, like the environment, marriage equality or sensible farming practices and policies. They are in love with representing Ben & Jerry’s in their neighborhoods, their cities, and their towns.
Ben & Jerry’s strives to sustain a franchise network where teamwork, individuality and diversity are valued, respected and encouraged. This is not just a business, it’s a lifestyle. It’s definitely not for everyone, but for some folks, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
