BURLINGTON — Ben & Jerry's thank you to fans is back.
Free scoops will be handed out across the world to thank fans for their on-going support, the company said in a release. Cones at the ready, it promises to be bigger than ever on Monday, April 3.
It was springtime in Vermont on May 5, 1979 when the two cofounders — Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield — surprised themselves by outlasting a long winter in Vermont, with an average temperature below freezing all season. To celebrate their first year in business and thank the local community for their support, the co-founders decided to open the doors and scoop free ice cream. They called it "Free Cone Day" – and just like that… an annual celebration was born, the release said.
Fast forward over 40 years and the intention hasn't changed. The company has grown, now in 35 countries. The day is still a thanks. The day is still about fans. Ice creams packed with Fairtrade chunks and swirls are handed out for free. Scoop Shops around the world can add their own swirl of fun to Free Cone Day. Some participating Scoop Shops will also partner with a local nonprofit in their communities, who often benefit from much of the energy around Free Cone Day.
Ice cream lovers can get in line as many times as they would like. Flavor fanatics can try any flavor they prefer, the company said, whether that is a classic like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, which Ben & Jerry's invented over three decades ago, or a brand new flavor, like Lights! Caramel! Action!, which the company just unveiled in 2023 with award-winning director, filmmaker and TV producer Ava DuVernay.
The company is setting its scooping sights on a new goal — to make this Free Cone Day the biggest ever, with a goal to serve well over a million scoops globally.
Ben & Jerry's is a social justice company that produces a variety of premium ice cream and non-dairy/vegan desserts. Ben & Jerry's is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever.
