Fosters Freeze
Encyclopedia
Fosters Freeze is a chain of fast-food restaurants in California
. It was founded by George Foster in 1946 on La Brea
Avenue in Inglewood, California
, a location that still remains, and claims to have been the first fast-food chain in the state.
George Foster later sold the Foster's Freeze franchise to William Bouldier and his affiliate who owned and managed the restaurant chain for several years. After a decade of success, Bouldier sold his stake in the business to his partner due to a conflict in the business' international expansion.
s and ice cream
, which is reflected in the marketing slogan, "California's Original Soft Serve
." Its mascot
is an ice cream cone wearing a chef's hat.
At franchise locations the company also offers a variety of foods, including hamburger
s, chicken strips, and fish
but it has not followed trend of other fast food restaurants and lacks a healthy eats menu, due to mainly selling burgers and fried foods. The ice cream though is healthier as it is low fat soft serve. A small serving of soft serve in a cup is approximately 130 calorie
s.
The restaurant's original slogan was "Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat" and the slogan has taken on a retro
appeal in recent years. The lyrics of Foster's Freeze jingle used in are, "Remember soft-serve ice cream? Nothin' tastes the same. If you want original soft-serve, Foster's is the name. Burgers cooked to order, the way they used to be; Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat. Food that's made to order, so your order's always fresh, So slow down just a little and have a little treat; Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat!"
. It was first owned by Clarence and Margarite Fries. Months later it was sold to Lee and Maxine White. When the Whites took over ownership, they bought three trucks from which they would sell ice cream all over Tulare and surrounding towns such Exeter
and Lindsay
. Since ice cream is a taxable product and food is not, they had two separate windows. Customers could purchase their ice cream at one window and their hot dogs, burgers and fries at another window.
In 1972, Clyde and Barbara Blackburn purchased Fosters Freeze in Tulare and in 1996 moved the location to 1330 East Tulare Avenue, where it still remains. According to Linda Ruminer, Foster Freeze's new site is where business really picked up, and on January 1, 1997 Foster Freeze had to close its doors so that they would be able to restock their merchandise to better serve their customers. Foster Freeze's business was doing so well that they could afford to hold Cruise Nights to get their community together to have a good time. Cruise Nights is a classical vehicle show that displays as many as three hundred classic vehicles. It started at Auburn, California
’s Foster’s Freeze in 1984 when, showing off classic vehicles became popular. Cruise Night would come together at Foster’s Freeze and reminisce about the glory days. Even famous people such as Flip Wilson
, Steve Perry
from the rock band Journey
, and Robert Conrad
have been spotted at the Tulare location grabbing a bite to eat.
Maxine White now volunteers at the Tulare Historical Museum and enjoys telling stories of the days when her and her husband had had ownership of one of the Foster Freeze locations. The executive director of the Tulare Historical Museum, Terry Brazil, once stated that she could remember when she used to go with her husband's aunt down to the local Foster Freeze, because she had to have one of their "delicious hamburgers with the wonderful, tasty sauce." Lee White and Clyde Blackburn were business partners as well as close friends. Lee White died in 1994.
The Fosters Freeze franchise in Hawthorne, California
is known to be the Hamburger joint, where Beach Boy band member Dennis Wilson saw the girl in the Thunderbird he sang about in his song titled “Fun, Fun, Fun.” Recently the USA softball team was seen eating at the Salinas location before heading off to Beijing to participate in the 2008 Olympics. Also, the Atwater location was used in a scene of the movie, Pulp Fiction
where Bruce Willis
’ character runs over Ving Rhames. The historical significance that Fosters Freeze has is what attracts patrons and unites community members to try to keep developers from taking away a piece of nostalgia from them. In 2006, the neighborhood of Menlo Park
, located in northern California, presented to their city council a petition with about 800 signatures to avoid demolition of their local Foster’s.
After 60 years in the business, Fosters Freeze has 92 locations in California as of 2010. Some of the company's first locations in California included Sunnyvale
, Mountain View
, and Palo Alto
. The Palo Alto location, across the street from Stanford University
's Campus on El Camino, remains virtually unchanged since c. 1950. The oldest locations are often historic landmarks. In its humble beginnings it was bigger than McDonald’s, Del Taco
, and other chains. The shelf life of the ice cream made expansion to other states challenging. The mixture only lasts 17 days and that made it difficult to transport it to other states. That is why the chain has been limited to California and is a contributing factor that has resulted in many store closures and the lacking of staying power in the field of fast food.
enacted a master franchise contract with Fosters Freeze in 1994. Mark Hardinson, the grilled-chicken chains director of marketing, stated that sales boosted from three percent to six percent at El Pollo Loco's co-branded chains that served Fosters Freeze's soft-serve desserts. There are ninety nine Fosters Freeze branches that do not include the one hundred and sixty-three El Pollo Loco's that serve Fosters Freeze products. Over half of El Pollo Loco's serve Fosters Freeze products. The corporate office is currently located in a suburb of Los Angeles, in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was founded by George Foster in 1946 on La Brea
La Brea
La Brea is Spanish for "the tar" or "the tar pits") and may refer to:* La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California* La Brea, Trinidad and Tobago, home to the Pitch Lake* La Brea District in Peru...
Avenue in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
, a location that still remains, and claims to have been the first fast-food chain in the state.
George Foster later sold the Foster's Freeze franchise to William Bouldier and his affiliate who owned and managed the restaurant chain for several years. After a decade of success, Bouldier sold his stake in the business to his partner due to a conflict in the business' international expansion.
Name and slogan
The Fosters Freeze name comes from the fact that it is best known for its soft-serve milkshakeMilkshake
A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce....
s and ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, which is reflected in the marketing slogan, "California's Original Soft Serve
Soft serve
Soft serve is a term used to describe a type of ice cream that is softer than regular ice cream and that has been sold commecially since the late 1930s.- History :...
." Its mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is an ice cream cone wearing a chef's hat.
At franchise locations the company also offers a variety of foods, including hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, chicken strips, and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
but it has not followed trend of other fast food restaurants and lacks a healthy eats menu, due to mainly selling burgers and fried foods. The ice cream though is healthier as it is low fat soft serve. A small serving of soft serve in a cup is approximately 130 calorie
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
s.
The restaurant's original slogan was "Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat" and the slogan has taken on a retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
appeal in recent years. The lyrics of Foster's Freeze jingle used in are, "Remember soft-serve ice cream? Nothin' tastes the same. If you want original soft-serve, Foster's is the name. Burgers cooked to order, the way they used to be; Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat. Food that's made to order, so your order's always fresh, So slow down just a little and have a little treat; Everything at Foster's is wonderful to eat!"
History
In 1955, the first Fosters Freeze franchise was started in Tulare, CaliforniaTulare, California
Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 59,278 at the 2010 census.Just eight miles south of Visalia, it is part of the Census Bureau's designation of the Visalia Metropolitan Area. The city is named for the currently dry Tulare Lake, once the largest...
. It was first owned by Clarence and Margarite Fries. Months later it was sold to Lee and Maxine White. When the Whites took over ownership, they bought three trucks from which they would sell ice cream all over Tulare and surrounding towns such Exeter
Exeter, California
Exeter is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 census....
and Lindsay
Lindsay, California
Lindsay is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 11,768 at the 2010 census. Lindsay is located southeast of Visalia and is considered part of the Visalia Metropolitan Area by the United States Census Bureau.-History:...
. Since ice cream is a taxable product and food is not, they had two separate windows. Customers could purchase their ice cream at one window and their hot dogs, burgers and fries at another window.
In 1972, Clyde and Barbara Blackburn purchased Fosters Freeze in Tulare and in 1996 moved the location to 1330 East Tulare Avenue, where it still remains. According to Linda Ruminer, Foster Freeze's new site is where business really picked up, and on January 1, 1997 Foster Freeze had to close its doors so that they would be able to restock their merchandise to better serve their customers. Foster Freeze's business was doing so well that they could afford to hold Cruise Nights to get their community together to have a good time. Cruise Nights is a classical vehicle show that displays as many as three hundred classic vehicles. It started at Auburn, California
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
’s Foster’s Freeze in 1984 when, showing off classic vehicles became popular. Cruise Night would come together at Foster’s Freeze and reminisce about the glory days. Even famous people such as Flip Wilson
Flip Wilson
Clerow Wilson, Jr. , known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show...
, Steve Perry
Steve Perry (musician)
Stephen Ray "Steve" Perry is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Journey from 1977–1987 and 1995–1998. Perry had a successful solo career throughout the late 1980s and early '90s.Perry's voice has garnered acclaim from musical peers and music...
from the rock band Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, and Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
have been spotted at the Tulare location grabbing a bite to eat.
Maxine White now volunteers at the Tulare Historical Museum and enjoys telling stories of the days when her and her husband had had ownership of one of the Foster Freeze locations. The executive director of the Tulare Historical Museum, Terry Brazil, once stated that she could remember when she used to go with her husband's aunt down to the local Foster Freeze, because she had to have one of their "delicious hamburgers with the wonderful, tasty sauce." Lee White and Clyde Blackburn were business partners as well as close friends. Lee White died in 1994.
The Fosters Freeze franchise in Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
is known to be the Hamburger joint, where Beach Boy band member Dennis Wilson saw the girl in the Thunderbird he sang about in his song titled “Fun, Fun, Fun.” Recently the USA softball team was seen eating at the Salinas location before heading off to Beijing to participate in the 2008 Olympics. Also, the Atwater location was used in a scene of the movie, Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
where Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
’ character runs over Ving Rhames. The historical significance that Fosters Freeze has is what attracts patrons and unites community members to try to keep developers from taking away a piece of nostalgia from them. In 2006, the neighborhood of Menlo Park
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
, located in northern California, presented to their city council a petition with about 800 signatures to avoid demolition of their local Foster’s.
After 60 years in the business, Fosters Freeze has 92 locations in California as of 2010. Some of the company's first locations in California included Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
, and Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. The Palo Alto location, across the street from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Campus on El Camino, remains virtually unchanged since c. 1950. The oldest locations are often historic landmarks. In its humble beginnings it was bigger than McDonald’s, Del Taco
Del Taco
Del Taco is a North American fast food restaurant chain which specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine as well as American foods such as burgers, fries, and shakes...
, and other chains. The shelf life of the ice cream made expansion to other states challenging. The mixture only lasts 17 days and that made it difficult to transport it to other states. That is why the chain has been limited to California and is a contributing factor that has resulted in many store closures and the lacking of staying power in the field of fast food.
Fosters Freeze Today
El Pollo LocoEl Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Mexican grilled chicken, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. "El Pollo Loco" is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken".Their main dish is pollo asado, a grilled marinated chicken...
enacted a master franchise contract with Fosters Freeze in 1994. Mark Hardinson, the grilled-chicken chains director of marketing, stated that sales boosted from three percent to six percent at El Pollo Loco's co-branded chains that served Fosters Freeze's soft-serve desserts. There are ninety nine Fosters Freeze branches that do not include the one hundred and sixty-three El Pollo Loco's that serve Fosters Freeze products. Over half of El Pollo Loco's serve Fosters Freeze products. The corporate office is currently located in a suburb of Los Angeles, in Rancho Cucamonga, California.