Ben and Jerry's Ben & Jerry Homemade, INC was founded in 1977 by two hippie type young men. Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The first scoop shop was opened in May 1978 in a renovated gas station in downtown Burlington. Financed by a $12,000 investment loan from Ben’s father. The cofounder‘s business concept was to make the best ice cream available and to sell it at an affordable price. In 1979 Ben & Jerry’s began wholesaling ice cream in 2 ½ gallon tubs to restaurants in the area. After transforming the business by packaging pint cartons and wholesaling them to area groceries and mom-pop stores along truck routes t