Who is Bob Farrell?

Bob Farrell as a young man

1927

Bob Farrell was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927. His grandfather, Patrick Farrell, owned a successful auto parts company, but when the stock market crashed in 1929, it took its toll on the business and the family. Bob Farrell's father took his own life when Bob was only four years old. His mother placed him and his sister in an orphanage. It was a safe place run by loving people. "I remember crying when I arrived and crying when I left," Bob would later recall, "I'm sure 1973 In 1973, Bob Farrell sold his 55-store chain of ice cream parlors to the Marriott Corporation. He remained as its spokesperson, as they added nearly a hundred more stores. During this time he developed a motivational speech for new employees called Give 'em the Pickle!, based on a letter he received from a disappointed customer. This speech began the third chapter of his career as a highly sought-after motivational speaker and author. I gave those poor people a harder time than they gave me." His mother remarried five years later and got her children back.

1945

Bob left high school to join the Air Force in 1945. After the war ended, Bob Farrell was sent to serve at radar stations throughout the Pacific Northwest. On leave, at a local dance ballroom, he met his lifelong love, Ramona. They married that same year and Bob went back to school to finish his business degree. He landed a job in the back room at Heinz Foods. A year later, he approached their competitor, Libby Foods, and started his career as a salesman, serving "Mom and Pop" grocery stores.

Bob receiving the Horatio Alger Award from Norman Vincent Peale

Bob Farrell on the Merv Griffin Show

1963

Remembering the fun and excitement of the local ice cream parlors he used to go to as a kid in Brooklyn, Bob approached his friend, Ken McCarthy and persuaded him to quit his job at Carnation to join him in a new venture, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlors. They opened their first store in Portland, Oregon, on Friday the 13th, 1963. There were lines from opening to closing. "We ran out of ice cream and bananas. We cleaned out the neighborhood grocery stores of hamburger and buns." Farrell's quickly became the place to be for excitement and fun, not to mention a free sundae on your birthday. Five years later with only six stores opened, Farrell decided to begin franchising his concept.

1973

In 1973, Bob Farrell sold his 55-store chain of ice cream parlors to the Marriott Corporation. He remained as its spokesperson, as they added nearly a hundred more stores. During this time he developed a motivational speech for new employees called Give 'em the Pickle!, based on a letter he received from a disappointed customer. This speech began the third chapter of his career as a highly sought-after motivational speaker and author.

2015

For the next 40 plus years, Bob Farrell was involved with the launch of several very successful restaurant chains, including the re-launch of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants in 2009. He delivered his brand of "pickle service" to tens of thousands of employees across the country with his motivation speeches. In 2002, he created a successful video version of his speech Give 'em the PICKLE! He followed that with a motivational video for managers called The Leadership Pickles!, and then went in search of inspirational "pickle-givers" around the country with What's Your Pickle?! Bob spent his golden years at the beach in the Pacific Northwest with his three daughters, eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and, of course, his lifelong sweetheart, Mona. Bob passed away in August of 2015.