Important Dates

1906  Athanassios Karvelas, better known as Tom Carvel, was born in Athens, Greece on July 14th  

1910  Tom Carvel was brought to New York City by his parents

1929  After borrowing $15 from his future wife, Agnes Stewart, Tom Carvel began his company by selling ice cream from the back of his mobile truck

1934   Nation’s first retail ice cream company starts when Tom Carvel’s vending truck suffers a flat tire in Hartsdale, NY during Memorial Day Weekend, and he begins selling his melting ice cream from his broken down truck

1935  Begins manufacturing equipment for sale to the ice cream industry

1936  Forms Carvel Corporation

 

1936  Opens first store on site of broken down truck

1936  Patents “no air pump” super-low temperature ice cream machine

1936  Develops secret soft serve ice cream formula

1936  First to introduce the marketing concept “Buy One Get One Free”

1937  Tom Carvel marries Agnes Stewart

1939  Tom Carvel builds the first soft serve ice cream machine

1947  Patents all-glass front building with pitched roof; later copied by McDonalds

1947  First to franchise a retail ice cream store in the U.S.

1949  Begins franchisee training seminar, Carvel College of Ice Cream Knowledge (franchisees affectionately refer to it as Sundae School)

1950  Tom Carvel creates most complete franchise contract in industry; only franchise contract to survive the FTC and US Supreme Court

1951  First in the industry with a round ice cream sandwich, the Flying Saucer

1953  Opens first prefabricated ice cream store in Glastonbury, CT

1954  First in the industry with the gift certificate concept

1954  Holds the first annual “Little Miss Half Pint” beauty pageant for children under the age of six; 15,000 entries received annually

1955  First in the industry with a line of ice cream vending vehicles

1955  First to use CEO in radio and TV commercials

1956  Introduces the first ice cream supermarket on the site of original Hartsdale, NY store

1969  First in industry to develop complete line of all-Kosher products

1972  First in industry to introduce Lo-Yo frozen yogurt and Thinny-Thin frozen dietary desserts

1989  Sells to Investcorp, an international investment bank

1990  Tom Carvel passes away in his sleep

1991  Carvel Corporation Relocates to Farmington, Connecticut

1992  Begins Direct Sales Delivery (DSD) Supermarket Branded Freezer Market Program

1993  Develops multi-pronged distribution business model including retail shops, stadiums, super club stores and supermarkets

1998  Places Carvel branded freezers in 4,500 supermarkets

1998  Introduces Lil’ Love cakes

2001  Sells to Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm

2002  Relocates supermarket headquarters to Rocky Hill, CT

2002  Relocates franchise headquarters to Atlanta, GA

2002  Sets Guinness World Record™ for Largest Ice Cream Scoop Pyramid

2003  Introduces 98% Fat Free Flying Saucers, Uptown Smoothies, and Slice Mmm’s

2003  Opens new store prototype in Vero Beach, FL

2004  Celebrates 70th Birthday by setting Guinness World Record for the Largest Ice Cream Cake

2004  FOCUS Brands is created; Carvel joins Cinnabon and Seattle’s Best Coffee International to form new food service company

2005  Introduces Sundae Dashers

2006  Celebrates Fudgie the Whale’s 30th birthday

2008   Introduces new Arctic Blenders & Carvelattes

  

2009  Celebrates 75th Anniversary with the giveaway of free Icebergs