History
Dippin' Dots was founded in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1988. Jones began the company in his parents' garage.[1] It was originally invented as cow feed when Jones, who specialized in cryogenics, was trying to make efficient fodder for farm animals.[7]
The company is now headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky.
In 1992, Dippin' Dots received for its ice cream making process, and in 1996 unsuccessfully sued its main competitor, Mini Melts, for patent infringement, losing the suit in February 2007.
Japan became the first international licensee of Dippin' Dots in 1995.[4]
In 2007, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled against Dippin' Dots because the process of creating the ice cream was "obvious" rather than proprietary.[8][9]
On November 4, 2011, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,[10] after failing to reach an agreement with their lender, Regions Bank. According to The New York Times, the bank had been trying to foreclose on Dippin' Dots for over a year.[11]
On May 18, 2012, U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the purchase of the company by Scott Fischer and his father Mark Fischer. The Fischers had co-founded Chaparral Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They retained company founder Curt Jones as CEO, and planned to expand from 1,600 sales locations to 2,000 locations, keeping the production and headquarters in Paducah, where it employed 165 people.[12]
In mid-2014, the company purchased gourmet popcorn franchisor Doc Popcorn, which had about 100 stores.[13] On February 10, 2015, the company announced they would co-brand stores with both products. The 1,000-square-foot stores would sell Dippin' Dots and Doc Popcorn, with a common selling counter, register and employees.
In May 2022, J & J Snack Foods Corp. announced that it was going to acquire Dippin’ Dots for $222 million,[14] and the acquisition was closed on June 21, 2022.[15]
