TAMPA, Fla — There's a new scoop shop on the Midtown Tampa block.
Three men who make up Primo Partners cut the ribbon to open the first black-owned Ben & Jerry's in the Tampa Bay area. This brick-and-mortar makes up 10 of the black-owned ice cream shops Primo Partners owns across six U.S. states.
Phillip Scotton, Antonio McBroom and Eric Taylor of Primo Partners have become Ben & Jerry's largest franchise organization.
Mayor Jane Castor attended the ribbon-cutting event, happily welcoming the franchise to the city.
Not only did the Tampa mayor attend, but Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, themselves, were in attendance for the historic opening.
The team received the Big O for operation excellence, the highest accolade a Ben & Jerry's franchise can win. It's the first minority-owned business to receive the award in the ice cream company's 43 years of operation.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
