Did you know that Ben and Jerry’s began in a junior high school gym in Merrick?
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, after graduating high school and a couple of failed ventures, decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont in 1978, according to CNN.
"We were flailing," Cohen told CNN. "We said, man, we're not getting anywhere in the world. Maybe if we started our own business we would be able to make it."
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They each put up $4,000 and got a $4,000 to get the business going, and they were also offering crepes because the banks didn’t care for the seasonality of the business. Cohen focused on sales and flavor creation while Greenfield made the ice cream.
"Ben is really entrepreneurial and creative, and I do well within the box, as they say," Greenfield said.
From CNN:
In 2000, Unilever (UL) bought Ben & Jerry's for $326 million, and today the business is part of its $9.75 billion refreshment arm. Greenfield and Cohen are still full-time employees, but they aren't involved in day-to-day management or operations.
"It turns out we still do both work together," Greenfield added.
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