Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co.

Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co.
Specialty ice cream and yogurts
Industry Retail
Founded 1938
Founder John Nash Gifford
Headquarters Silver Spring, MD
Products Ice Cream
Owner Marcelo Ramagem and Neal Lieberman

Gifford's was a brand of ice cream manufactured and sold in the Washington, D.C., area from the 1930s through 2010. It was known for using natural ingredients including viscosity modifiers such as guar gum and seaweed-derived carrageenan and having a high butterfat content.[1]

History

Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co. was founded in 1938 by John Nash Gifford. In the same year, he opened the first Gifford's on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he sold his six original ice cream flavors.[2] In 1940, he opened a second location on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. Until 1985, all Gifford's locations were large, old-fashioned ice cream parlors. John Gifford served as the company's president until his death in 1976, when the business was passed on to his son, Robert Nash Gifford.

In 1984, Gifford's filed for bankruptcy protection due to approximately $200,000 of debt.[3] In 1985, a Baltimore bankruptcy judge ruled to liquidate the company's assets to pay an estimated $350,000 debt.[4] At that time, the Gifford's name, logo, and a version of the recipes were purchased for $1,500.

In 1986 or 1987, Dolly Hunt and her son, James, bought the rights to the company and opened a new Gifford's on Wisconsin Avenue, which had its official opening on July 4, 1989.[5] In July 2006, a new 8,200-square-foot (760 m2) factory was opened.

Select flavors of Gifford's ice cream were sold in pint containers in area specialty food stores, including Whole Foods Market and Harris Teeter.[6] As of August 2006, more than 70 restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area served Gifford's ice cream.[7] Beginning in 2008, Gifford's was added as a concession at Nationals Park.[8][9] It was replaced by Breyers in 2011.

The company was sold in March 2010, and split into two parts, wholesale and retail. Due to much bickering and lawsuits, all the retail locations were closed by October 2010.[10] The trademark and name were then purchased by the unrelated Gifford's Ice Cream of Maine.

Of the original Washington, D.C. family, the only surviving member is Robert's son, Andrew Nash Gifford, who currently runs the indie publishing house SFWP. He is also the author of the memoir, We All Scream: The End of the Gifford's Ice Cream Dynasty.

References

  1. ↑ Elisabeth McAllister, "Here's a Sweet Scoop: Gifford's Is Back in Bethesda," The Washington Post, 29 June 1989, IMD1
  2. ↑ Bethany Sackett, "Gifford's Frozen in Time, Not Ideas," The Washington Times, 29 October 2007, C17.
  3. ↑ Caroline E. Mayer, "Gifford's Asks Bankruptcy Protection," The Washington Post, 10 May 1984, D1.
  4. ↑ Caroline E. Mayer, "Gifford Liquidation Is Ordered by Judge," The Washington Post, 26 April 1985, D3.
  5. ↑ Elisabeth McAllister, 1989.
  6. ↑ Sackett, 2007.
  7. ↑ Walter Nicholls, "For the Scoop on Gifford's," The Washington Post, 9 August 2006, F4.
  8. ↑ Jeff Clabaugh, "Gifford's Ice Cream Gets Nats Stadium Deal," Washington Business Journal, 23 January 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  9. ↑ "Washington Nationals Announce Partnerships with Local Vendors," All American Patriots, 27 February 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  10. ↑ Rosenwald, Michael S. (23 October 2010). "For beloved ice cream chain Gifford's, a rocky road". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 October 2010.

External links


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