The Origins of Today's Mix-In Ice Cream

Today's Coldstone Creamery, Maggie Moo, Marble Slab and other mix-in ice cream chains had a predecessor before they even thought of mashing goodies with their ice creams - New England's own Steve's Ice Cream.

Being a New Englander, I grew up with Steve's Ice Cream. Owner Steve Herrell had revolutionized the idea of not merely topping ice cream but customizing it internally—mushing the base until it was soft then "smooshingin" (Steve's phrase) tiny mounds of Oreos or jelly beans or whatever.

He opened the first Steve's in 1973, in Somerville, Mass., outside Boston. And so we could blame this whole thing on Herrell; the mix-in concept generally gets dropped at his feet anyway. Chicagotribune.com