Baskin-Robbins introduced its “31 flavors” concept in 1953. The number promised customers a different flavor for every day of the month, turning variety itself into the ice-cream chain’s central marketing idea.
The concept arrived when founders Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins united their previously separate ice-cream businesses under the Baskin-Robbins name. Advertising agency Carson/Roberts helped develop the “31” idea, while the order of the founders’ surnames was reportedly settled by a coin toss.
The date is easy to confuse with other milestones. Robbins opened Snowbird Ice Cream in Glendale in 1945, and Baskin opened Burton’s Ice Cream in Pasadena in 1946. Their companies expanded quickly, but 1953 marks the creation of the unified Baskin-Robbins identity and the 31-flavor concept—not the chain’s founding year.
The original menu included flavors such as Chocolate Mint, Black Walnut, and Coffee Candy. The familiar “31” later became a visual feature of the logo, formed from parts of the letters B and R.