"It's-It" redirects here. For the album by the Sugarcubes, see It's-It (album).
It's-It Ice Cream is an ice cream manufacturer and distributor since 1928, based in Burlingame, California. The company is best known for the popular 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.
History
The It's-It was invented in 1928 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. One version of the name's origins 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. Another version 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.
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 ice cream sandwiches at another location near Ocean Beach.
In 1974, the Shamieh brothers, and their brothers-in law, A.L. McDow and Isa Zaru, bought the It's-It business. 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. Chocolate, strawberry, mint and cappuccino flavors were added in the 1980s and green tea in 2016; pumpkin is also available. The company has also added other ice cream products, including the "Super Sundae", the "Big Daddy", the "Super Cone", and the "Chips It".
References
- ^ Rodriguez, Steph (13 December 2022). "Where to get the It's-It flavors you can't find at corner stores". SFGATE. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- Wong, Claudine (6 August 2021). "It's-It factory store offers updates on timeless ice cream sandwiches". KTVU FOX 2. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- Decolongon, Josh (3 August 2023). "We Recreated an It's-It Ice Cream Sandwich at Home — With an Oakland Twist. | KQED". www.kqed.org. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Matt Villano (10 June 2005). "What's What with It's-It". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- Cabanatuan, Michael (19 March 2021). "Ice cream invasion: It's-Its will soon be available in East Coast freezers". San Francisco Chronicle. ISSN 1932-8672. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ 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.
- Dunne, Carey (30 June 2017). "Still 'It' after all these years". nobhillgazette.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- "Small, family-run businesses on the Peninsula that are beating the odds". Climate Online. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- Ehsanipour, Asal (26 May 2020). "Bay Area Foodie Culture Goes Way Further Back Than California Cuisine". KQED. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- Villano, Matt (10 June 2005). "What's what with It's-It / Burlingame institution takes frozen assets to another level". SFGATE. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- 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.