Two brothers-in-law, Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins, shared a dream in the 1940s to open innovative ice cream stores that would be family gathering places. They started separate ice cream shops in 1945 and 1946 in California. In 1953, they combined their shops and brands to form the ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins with 31 flavors. By the mid-1960s, Baskin-Robbins had expanded to over 400 stores across the United States and later internationally.