Swensen's

The company was founded in 1948 by Earle Swensen, who learned to make ice cream while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/17/us/earle-swensen-83-led-ice-cream-chain.html|title=Earle Swensen, 83; Led Ice Cream Chain|date=January 17, 1996|work=AP|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=19 June 2014}} Swensen opened his first shop at the corner of Union and Hyde Streets, along the cable car tracks in Russian Hill in San Francisco at what had been a failed ice cream parlor.{{cite magazine|title=Ice-cream innovator Swensen dies at 83 in San Francisco

|author= Alan Liddle

|magazine= Nation's Restaurant News

|date= 2005-01-29

}} Although vanilla was his lifelong favorite, he developed more than 150 flavors, which he marketed under the motto "Good as Father Used to Make". The original store sold ice cream and other frozen dessert specialties (such as sundaes and banana splits), with primarily take out service. Later other Swensen's franchisees added indoor seating and offered various types of food, including sandwiches and hamburgers.

File:Swenswk.jpg, Manila, Philippines.]]

File:Lamb Chop with almonds - Swensen's.JPG

Swensen sold the rights to franchise Swensen's Ice Cream Factories and Restaurants to William Meyer and investors in the 1970s but retained exclusive rights in San Francisco and continued to operate his original store (which still exists today) until 1994, a year before his death at age 83. Under new management the company expanded to 400 stores, mostly franchise locations, by the 1980s. However, in the 1990s it contracted to half of that size before being acquired and expanding again, mostly in Asia. U.S. stores continued to close until only three were left, including the original San Francisco ice cream parlor and the main restaurant in Miami. In 2022, the last U.S. franchise location closed in Coral Gables, Florida, after 44 years, leaving the San Francisco store as the last Swensen's in the country.{{cite news|first=Susana|last=Guerrero|title=How 'corporate greed' nearly killed Bay Area institution Swensen's ice cream|date=December 29, 2022|work=SFGate|url=https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/how-swensens-ice-cream-survived-17317342.php|access-date=October 6, 2023}}

Today the company is owned by International Franchise Inc. (IFI) of Markham, Ontario, Canada, which bought the franchise business from former frozen food manufacturer CoolBrands International in 2006. IFI also owns such notable brands as Yogen Früz, I Can't Believe It's Yogurt (ICBY), Golden Swirl, Yogurty's, Dreamery and Bresler's Ice Cream.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.ifranchiseinc.com/about-us/ |publisher=International Franchise Inc. |access-date=December 13, 2023}} The Swensen's chain now includes about 300 franchise outlets worldwide including locations in Asia, the Middle East, South America, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Pakistan.{{cite news | url=http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20100322-205979.html | title=Swensen's embarks on regional franchise expansion | publisher=asiaone.com | date=2010-03-22 | access-date=2010-03-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328071012/http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20100322-205979.html | archive-date=2010-03-28 | url-status=dead }}

In India, the company opened its first store in Bangalore at Mantri Mall, marking the first of 80 stores over the next 5 years scheduled to open all over South India.{{cite news | url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/74626/swensens-ice-cream-enters-india.html | title=Swensen's ice cream enters India | newspaper=Deccan Herald | date=2010-06-10}} Swensen's is also now open in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.{{cite news | url=http://www.swensens.com/blog/2010/08/vietnams-got-the-scoop-and-welcomes-swensens/ | title=Vietnam's Got the Scoop and Welcomes Swensen's | publisher=Swensen's website | date=2010-08-12 | access-date=2010-08-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716172019/http://www.swensens.com/blog/2010/08/vietnams-got-the-scoop-and-welcomes-swensens/ | archive-date=2011-07-16 | url-status=dead }} In March 2014, Swensen's opened its first restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar.{{Cite web |url=http://mingalapar.com/forum/index.php/topic/1604-swensens-ice-cream-shop-to-open-in-junction-maw-tin/ |title=Swensen's ice cream shop to open in Junction Maw Tin - Myanmar Food - Mingalapar Forum |access-date=2014-03-26 |archive-date=2014-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327221412/http://mingalapar.com/forum/index.php/topic/1604-swensens-ice-cream-shop-to-open-in-junction-maw-tin/ |url-status=dead }}

In 1971, Hans Biermann opened a Swensen's in Santa Ana, CA. 18 years later he parted ways with Swensen's and changed the name to Hans’ Homemade Ice Cream and Deli. He still uses the same basic Swensen's recipes and has opened stores in Anaheim and Huntington Beach.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2011/08/22/swensens-making-socal-comeback/|title=Swensen's making SoCal comeback|date=22 August 2011}}

Swensen's was featured as a prize on the 1987 version of Super Sloppy Double Dare and on the 1987 Euro version of Finders Keepers and was featured in the 1985 film The Goonies. A Swensen's store can be glimpsed in the mall sequence of the 1985 film Commando starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and also in the opening scene of the 1978 film The Silent Partner, which starred Elliott Gould. Seinfeld{{'}}s "George Costanza" eats Swensen's ice cream after his tonsils are fully removed in the episode, "The Heart Attack." The characters Stacy Hamilton and Linda Barrett originally worked at a Swensen’s store in the 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High but was changed to a Perry’s Pizza store for its 1982 film adaptation.

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H5guAAAAIBAJ&pg=876,3048228&dq=ice+cream+parlor&hl=en | title=Ice-cream parlor revives old-time delights | newspaper=The Montreal Gazette | date=April 13, 1977 | accessdate=March 7, 2013 | author=Rochester, Helen}}

• [http://www.swensensrestaurant.com/ Swensen's main USA restaurant] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104082809/http://swensensrestaurant.com/ |date=2014-01-04 }} located in Miami, Florida
• [https://www.swensens1112.com/ Swensen's Thailand website]
• [http://www.swensens.com.sg/ Swensen's Singapore website] (in English)
• [http://www.swensens.com/ Swensen's Worldwide website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218092723/http://www.swensens.com/ |date=2014-12-18 }}
• [http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/739967/swensens_plans_big_overseas_expansion_for_ice_cream_shops/index.html redorbit article] on expansion in Asia

Category:1948 establishments in California

Category:Restaurants established in 1948

Category:Restaurant franchises

Category:2006 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Ice cream parlors

Category:Restaurant chains in the United States

Category:Companies based in San Francisco

Category:Restaurants in San Francisco

Category:Restaurants in Singapore

Category:Companies based in Markham, Ontario

Category:CoolBrands International