Jacob Beresin

Jacob Beresin

Jacob Beresin (c. 1891 – 1975) was an American entrepreneur credited with pioneering the modern concession stand in U.S. movie theaters and various public venues. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “the man who came up with the idea of selling popcorn in theaters.” According to the obituary published on November 13, 1975, Beresin first pitched the idea in 1911 at age 20, motivated by “trying to get together enough money to get married.”. His first popcorn sales began at the Metropolitan Opera House on North Broad Street in 1911. The article noted that the idea proved commercially successful and “earned him a fortune,” positioning Beresin as an early mid-20th century innovator in theater-based snack sales and distribution.

Business Expansion History

In 1925, Beresin expanded his business model and partnered with Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company that built a large scale factory operating in northernmost neighborhood of the River Wards section of the city Bridesburg, Philadelphia that led to the co-development of branded confections—such as Raisinets, Goobers, and Sno-Caps—products that were sized and packaged snacks tailored conveniently available for sale and consumption in the expanding new venue of entertainment for theater going cinema audiences.. By 1930, these confections were available in thousands of theaters nationwide, according to both the National Park Service and the History Channel's documentary series The Food That Built America. His concession model evolved from a local popcorn cart into a scalable distribution system that extended into stadiums, transit hubs, recreation centers, and institutional venues such as schools, hospitals, and government facilities. This expansion influenced his company, Berlo Vending, to pursue regional and multi-state growth. By 1938, Beresin expanded into subway concessions under the brand People's Service News Co., offering newspapers, magazines, and candy. In the 1940s, Beresin served as president of Loft Candy Corporation, where he helped expand the company’s confectionery retail strategy into subways and public venues, aligning it with his existing vending operations.

In 1947, Berlo merged with another firm to form A.B.C. Vending Co., which placed vending machines in Warner, RKO, and Loews Theaters nationwide, and operated in the subway systems of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The company also managed thousands of coffee machines and the Nedick's restaurant chain in New York. In the 1970s, Berlo was acquired by Ogden Food Services, a national provider of institutional concessions whose operations were later absorbed into ARAMARK Corporation. Beresin’s approach to high-margin snack distribution became a foundational economic engine for American entertainment venues.

Philadelphia Humanitarian

In addition to his business accomplishments, Jacob Beresin was a committed humanitarian and civic leader in Philadelphia. He helped found the Police Athletic League (PAL), and the PAL Center at 26th Street and Allegheny Avenue was named in his honor. Beresin worked with The Philadelphia Inquirer to launch "Old Newsboys' Day," an annual street campaign in which civic leaders sold a special “Happiness Edition” to raise funds for the Variety Club Camp for Handicapped Children. A founder of the Variety Club of Philadelphia, he later served as Chief Barker of Variety International. Beresin also supported efforts by the Shriners to build hospitals for crippled children. In 1971, he received the FAJA-IEF Humanitarian Award, and was honored with the PAL Service Award, Heart Award from the Variety Club, and the Distinguished Service Award from Tent 13.

Legacy

Beresin’s concession model did more than enhance the moviegoing experience—it helped reshape the economic foundation of entertainment venues. During periods of hardship, from the Great Depression to the rise of television, theaters struggled to sustain ticket revenue. Concessions, often yielding profit margins over 80%, became a lifeline. As The Guardian noted, “Without the hefty concession profits, there would be no movie theater business.” Beresin’s innovations transformed snacks from novelties into strategic revenue engines, laying the groundwork for the sustainability of theaters and stadiums alike.

His legacy is featured in the History Channel popular culture documentary series 'The Food That Built America', which profiles historical storytelling with archival research about his partnership with Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company and the emergence of branded movie confections like Raisinets, Goobers, and Sno-Caps. The Blumenthal factory’s inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places further highlights contextually Beresin’s role in commercializing concessions and shaping the physical and economic architecture of mid-20th-century hospitality venues.

See also

• Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company – Beresin’s confectionary partner in branded movie candy like Raisinets and Goobers
• Berlo Vending Company – His original concession firm before merging to form ABC Vending
• ABC Vending Company – A national vending enterprise Beresin led prior to its acquisition by Ogden Corporation
• History of movie candy – Covers the evolution of branded confections in American cinema
• Theater concession economics – Explores the high-margin snack sales model Beresin helped pioneer
• Concession stand – The structure Beresin transformed into a national revenue engine
• Movie theater – Primary venue for his concession innovations
• Candy – Category central to Beresin’s product strategy, including chocolate snacks and vending sales

References

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