Brigham's Ice Cream
{{Short description|Brand of ice cream and restaurants}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Brigham's Ice Cream
| logo = Brighams Ice Cream logo.gif
| type = Private
| foundation = {{start date and age|1914}} in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts
| defunct = {{end date and age|2013}} (as restaurant chain)
| location = Lynnfield, Massachusetts, United States
| key_people =
| industry = food manufacturer
| products = ice cream
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees =
| parent = HP Hood LLC
| homepage = {{URL|http://brighams.com/}}
}}
File:Brigham's Ice Cream, Arlington Heights MA.jpg}}]]
Brigham's Ice Cream is a brand of ice cream and formerly a restaurant franchise. Brigham's is sold in quart containers throughout New England, and was served at franchised restaurants located in Massachusetts until 2013. It was founded in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts.[http://www.brighams.com/about/ Brigham's History] Since the purchase by HP Hood, its offices are located at Kimball Lane, Lynnfield, Massachusetts.{{Cite web|url=http://www.brighams.com/about/contact.asp|title=Contact Us|website=Brigham's Ice Cream|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505015127/http://www.brighams.com/about/contact.asp|archive-date=May 5, 2009}} The company maintains a strong regional identity, using regional terms such as "wicked" (extremely) and "frappe" (milkshake with ice cream), and makes reference to events with special significance to New Englanders, such as the Big Dig and the 2004 World Series. At one time, there were 100 Brigham's restaurant locations; the last was in Arlington, Massachusetts,{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/05/owners-of-brighams-ice-cream-bank-on-nostalgia.html |title=Owners of Brigham's ice cream bank on nostalgia with latest promotion |work=Boston Business Journal |date=May 27, 2014 |first=Jon |last=Chesto}} and changed its name in August 2015.{{cite web |url=http://www.yourarlington.com/104-business1/business-news/7974-digumms-083015.html |title=Um ... can you dig 'em? |date=August 30, 2015 |website=Your Arlington |author= |access-date=October 10, 2015 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904141453/http://www.yourarlington.com/104-business1/business-news/7974-digumms-083015.html |url-status=dead }} The ice cream is currently owned and manufactured by Hood.
History
Brigham's was founded in 1914 by Edward L. Brigham in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. In 1914, Brigham opened a shop selling ice cream and candy which he made in the back of the store. Originally, ice cream was sold for five cents and sundaes for 20 cents. Brigham's ice cream became so popular that the local police were called upon to control weekend crowds. In 1929, Brigham's merged with Symmes' Durand Company, establishing the basis of today's Brigham's with the opening of three additional stores and an ice cream manufacturing plant. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s business flourished and 20 new stores opened.
In 1961, Brigham's was acquired by Star Market.{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275786063 |title=Star Market Co. To Make Exchange Offer to Brigham's |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 8, 1961 |page=12 |author= |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|275786063}} |access-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=October 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016083548/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/275786063.html |url-status=live }} Forty new stores opened, offering sandwiches and ice cream in a new colonial-style setting. Brigham's was acquired by Jewel Companies in 1964 when Jewel acquired Star.{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1964/01/31/page/53/article/star-market-merger-voted-by-jewel-tea |title=Star Market Merger Voted By Jewel Tea |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=January 31, 1964 |author= |page=C7 |id={{ProQuest|179343705}}}} In 1968, Brigham's acquired Buttrick's, a small chain of colonial-style restaurants based in Arlington, Massachusetts.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} This location became the Brigham's new home office until its sale to HP Hood, at which time this location was closed. At its height, Brigham's had 100 restaurants in the New England area. In 1982, Jewel Companies sold Brigham's to privately held owners.{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1466640122 |title=Brigham's is sold by Jewel Cos. |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=March 11, 1982 |page=30 |first=Bruce A. |last=Mohl |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|1466640122}} |access-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804005511/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/1466640122.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1982/03/11/page/69/article/business-ticker/index.html |title=Jewel selling Brigham's unit |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=March 11, 1982 |page=f1 |author= |id={{ProQuest|172622530}}}} Brigham's started selling quarts of its ice cream at retail in 1983 and {{asof|2022|lc=y}} is sold in every major supermarket in New England.
Brigham's bought Élan Frozen Yogurt in 1993, to expand and improve the menu towards the ever-growing frozen-dessert industry.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/11/business/company-news-brigham-s-to-buy-elan-foods-maker-of-yogurt-desserts.html |title=Brigham's to Buy Elan Foods, Maker Of Yogurt Desserts |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 11, 1993 |author=}} The purchase enabled Brigham's to enter the New York region as well as additional demographic markets. In 2003, Brigham's launched its first novelty, the Brigham's Ice Cream Bar.{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ice+Cream+Bar.+(Retail).-a099818681 |title=Title Annotation: Brigham's Ice Cream Bar |magazine=Frozen Food Digest |date=February 1, 2003 |author= |via=The Free Library}}
On June 27, 2008, in a secured creditor transaction led by the company's senior debt holder, Cambridge Savings Bank, Brigham's was split into two companies and sold to HP Hood LLC and Luke Cooper of Deal Metrics, LLC.{{cite news |url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/x560275232/Bank-buys-back-Brigham-s#axzz1kLBUsduf |title=Bank buys back Brigham's |newspaper=The Arlington Advocate |date=August 21, 2008 |first=Andy |last=Metzger}}
{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/06/28/brighams_cant_beat_the_heat_assets_go_to_2_buyers/ |title=Brigham's can't beat the heat; assets go to 2 buyers |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=June 28, 2008 |first=Jeffrey |last=Krasner |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|405119511}}}} Hood acquired the Brigham's brand name and all products, proprietary, flavors and recipes. In a separate deal, Brigham's agreed to sell its 28 retail outlets and restaurants to Baltimore-based Deal Metrics LLC, through its holding company, New England Food Service, LLC. The manufacturing of Brigham's Ice Cream for sale in supermarkets was sold to Hood.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} At that time there were about 21 locations.
Brigham's restaurants did not survive the merger and in 2009, the company filed for bankruptcy and eventually closed all company-owned restaurants.{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/11/20/iconic_ice_cream_chain_faces_bankruptcy_anger/?page=full |title=To outcry, Brigham's heads to bankruptcy |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 20, 2009 |first=Megan |last=Woolhouse}} Franchised locations continued to operate until 2013, when the four remaining franchise locations (Arlington Heights, Hingham, North Andover, and Quincy) were forced to drop the brand from their store names.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/07/17/last-two-brigham-stores-must-change-name/2mMmJOQQ22Cu1J3FvXr1KO/story.html |title=Last two Brigham's stores must change name: Ice cream parlors bear iconic brand's name |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=July 17, 2013 |first=Taryn |last=Luna}} The Arlington Heights location became Diggums in August 2015 (closed in December 2016),{{Cite news|url=http://arlington.wickedlocal.com/news/20161201/arlington-heights-diggums-seized-for-not-paying-taxes|title=Arlington Heights' Diggums seized for not paying taxes|last=Berkowitz|first=Bram|work=The Arlington Advocate|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en}} the Hingham location became Patti's Place (since closed), Quincy became The Ice Cream Parlour, and the North Andover location is now called Fari's Diner.{{cite news|url=https://boston.eater.com/2013/5/28/6428743/99-years-later-the-end-of-brighams-ice-cream-shops|title=99 Years Later, The End of Brigham's Ice Cream Shops|last=Kagan|first=Aaron|date=May 28, 2013|work=Eater}}
Hood, identified as BIC Acquisitions, LLC, continues to market Brigham's ice cream in stores and owns the trademarks and official website.
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.brighams.com Brigham's Ice Cream]
{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}
Category:Ice cream parlors in the United States
Category:Defunct restaurants in Massachusetts
Category:Defunct restaurant chains in the United States
Category:Defunct ice cream parlors
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1914
Category:Restaurants established in 1914