The Popular Ice Cream Chain Barack Obama Once Worked At
Imagine stopping in for a scoop of your favorite ice cream, or maybe a sundae or a waffle cone, and the smiling face behind the freezer display case looks a little familiar. Now envision that person working at the ice cream shop resembling former President Barack Obama. It may be surprising and hard to believe that Obama would ever be the scooper behind your preferred frozen treat. But, before becoming a community organizer turned senator in Chicago, the 44th president and "A Promised Land" author's first job was at popular ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins, according to Dallas Morning News. Prior to moving to Chicago, he worked at the chain's Honolulu location when he was just a teenager.
After moving on from Baskin-Robbins and Hawaii, ice cream continued to be a part of Obama's journey. According to Wide Open Eats, Obama took then-girlfriend, Michelle Obama, to a local Baskin-Robbins. And how's this for a treat? The two shared their first kiss while sitting on the curb outside of the ice cream chain, per Instagram. "I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate," Obama revealed to O, The Oprah Magazine in the February 2007 issue.
Oh, in case you were wondering what Obama's favorite flavor of ice cream is, the answer might surprise you more than the thought of him working at Baskin-Robbins. Politico notes he lost interest after eating so many free scoops. But besides unlimited ice cream, what else did Obama gain from his first job experience?
What former President Obama learned from working at Baskin-Robbins
According to Dallas Morning News, Obama described working at Baskin-Robbins as an unglamorous job. Although it's true Obama wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of scooping compromising his wrist flick for his favorite sport, the former president admitted he learned a few things from the experience. So what were those valuable lessons? "Responsibility. Hard work. Balancing a job with friends, family, and school," Obama wrote, per Dallas Morning News.
As reported by Politico, Obama shared his backstory on working at Baskin-Robbins to promote the 2016 Summer Opportunity Project, an initiative that aided young adults in securing their first job and helping them with the transition from high school and college to a professional career.
Even if the downside was sore wrists and disinterest in ice cream, it sounds like Obama took something away from the opportunity. We can all agree that these lessons were beneficial to him in his presidency and in his personal life.
"I'll never forget that job — or the people who gave me that opportunity — and how they helped me get to where I am today," he wrote, per Politico.