It's-It Ice Cream
It's-It Ice Cream is an ice cream manufacturer and distributor based in Burlingame, California. The company has four products with their most popular being the It's-It ice cream sandwich, which is a scoop of ice cream sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and dipped in dark chocolate. The original vanilla It's-It has been available in additional flavors since the 1980s.
The It's-It was invented by George Whitney, one of the original business owners when San Francisco's Playland at the Beach opened across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach.[1] One version of the origins of the name is that Whitney was experimenting and cried out "It's-It!" when he hit on the combination of a sandwich of vanilla ice cream inside two oatmeal cookies, covered in chocolate.[1] Another is that he heard someone answer the question which cow had won a cow race that day (a tradition at Playland); the cow's name was It.[2]
For nearly forty-five years, until Playland was demolished in 1972, the It's-It was available only at Whitney's shop. After Playland closed, the It's-It name was passed to George Mavros, who sold the icecream sandwiches at another location near Ocean Beach.
In 1974, the Shamieh brothers, A.L. McDow and Isa Zaru, bought the It's-It name. They mechanized production, first at a facility on 11th Street in downtown San Francisco, moving to the current factory in Burlingame in 1976. The company's products are now sold in supermarkets and convenience stores.[1] Chocolate, strawberry, mint and cappuccino flavors were added in the 1980s[2] and green tea in 2016;[3] pumpkin is also available.[4][5] The company has also added other ice cream products, including the "Super Sundae", the "Big Daddy", the "Super Cone", and the "Chips It".[1][6]
References
- ^ a b c d Matt Villano (10 June 2005). "What's What with It's-It". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ^ a b Maria Cianci (20 May 1998). "The What's What About It's-It / Ice cream treat born at beach playland park". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Chris Preovolos (19 August 2016). "It's-It has a new ice cream flavor". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Amanda Gold (31 May 2009). "Bay Area stars freshening up five classic dishes". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ^ Paolo Lucchesi (6 September 2017). "A correct and definitive ranking of It's-It flavors". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ "It's-It Frequently Asked Questions". 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
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