Jacob Beresin
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Jacob Beresin | |
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| Born | September 1891 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | 1975 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, businessman, civic leader |
| Years active | Early–mid 20th century |
| Known for | Introducing popcorn sales inside movie theaters (1911); pioneering indoor concessions |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Hexter (m. 1914; died before 1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Abraham BeresinBettie Beresin |
Jacob Beresin (c. 1891 – 1975) was an American entrepreneur, businessman and civic leader based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is credited with introducing the concept of popcorn sales inside movie theaters in 1911 and later initiated the foundation for expanding indoor concessions inside entertainment and public venues through the national distribution of branded candy and other products.
Life
Jacob Beresin was born in September 1891 in New York City to Russian immigrant parents, Abraham and Bettie Beresin. He was raised in Philadelphia with three brothers (William, Leon, and Henry) and two sisters (Rachael and Sarah).He married Helen Hexter in 1914; she predeceased him. They had three children. His son Jack Beresin led ABC Vending and was active in civic organizations. His daughters, Ruth H. Beresin and Madelyn Beresin, were not publicly active in business or civic affairs. Madelyn Beresin, married author and entrepreneur Alan Tripp. He credited Beresin in a 1992 book as his “esteemed father-in-law” and a guiding influence in his own business journey Beresin was also survived by a brother and a sister, though neither appeared in public life.
Career
He began his professional life as secretary to Oscar Hammerstein I, the buildings developer, owner, composer/producer operating the Metropolitan Opera House (Philadelphia) on North Broad Street in the early 1900s. He augmented his salary by selling popcorn and other snacks during intermissions. He initiated the sale of popcorn in theaters inside movie theaters in 1911, beginning at the Metropolitan Opera House. Beresin partnered with businessman Edward Loeb to form 'Beresin Loeb', a company that began selling concessions in movie theaters. The idea caught on, business grew steadily and soon Beresin and his partner were selling snacks in all nine of Philadelphia’s theatres with the advent of silent movies and then “talkies". As movie business boomed, the idea spread to numerous other Cities.
In 1925, the Blumenthal Brothers partnered creatively with Jacob Beresin, an active Philadelphia-based concessionaire credited with introducing popcorn and candy sales to movie theaters Pennsylvania in the early 20th century, was a major center of chocolate manufacturing, with companies such as the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company competing in a crowded market. Beresin sought to develop chocolate products suitable for indoor concessions and approached the two brothers with the idea and collaboration lead to the creation of new products as Raisinets, Goobers, and Sno-Caps. These branded confections were distributed nationally and became widely available in movie theaters by 1930.
In the years following World War II, Beresin founded Berlo Vending and later merged with ABC Corporation, a major popcorn distributor, to form ABC Vending Company. The merger expanded operations into stadiums, subways, and public venues, consolidating Beresin’s leadership in movie concessions and branded snack distribution. During this period, ABC Vending introduced the Mr. Dee-Lish popcorn brand, packaged in distinctive red-and-white striped bags featuring a dancing cartoon mascot. The design became a recognizable fixture in mid-century concession stands, contributing to the brand’s visibility and appeal across the United States.
In the 1940s, Beresin expanded his civic involvement beyond business, founding the Variety Club of Philadelphia as part of the global children’s charity Variety. He was integral to the launch of “Old Newsboys’ Day,” an annual fundraising event in which celebrities and volunteers sold special editions of The Philadelphia Inquirer to support the Variety Club Camp for Handicapped Children. In the early 1950s, he helped establish the Police Athletic League (PAL) in Philadelphia, and the PAL Center at 26th Street and Allegheny Avenue was later named in his honor. His son Jack Beresin continued the family’s public service tradition and was elected Chief Barker of Variety International in 1953, leading efforts for the global organization founded by members of the entertainment industry.
Beresin’s contributions to movie concessions were noted in 1940 referring to him as the “Candy-Man” during his leadership of Loft Candy of Loft, Inc. and related to his partnership with Philadelphia prominent real estate developer and retail magnate Albert M. Greenfield, . His 1975 obituary credited him as the “Father of the Idea to Sell Popcorn in Theaters,” a phrase that has appeared in local press, books and trade publications. In 2025 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.
Legacy
Jacob Beresin is credited to have pioneered in-theater concessions, transforming popcorn and branded candy into cultural staples and economic engines that shaped mid-century entertainment and institutional food service models nationwide. His innovations transformed snacks from novelties into strategic revenue engines, laying the groundwork for the sustainability of theaters and stadiums alike. During the Great Depression from 1929 to 1939 and later the rise of home entertainment technology of television, movie theaters struggled to sustain adequate ticket revenue. Concession sales became a fundamental element of the movie theater industry's revenue earnings providing financial sustainability, often by yielding profit margins averaging over 80%. Company legacy lineage of the original Partnership of Beresin/Loeb, becoming Berlo Vending merging with ABC Corporation, then acquired by Ogden Food Services of Reworld Holding Coprporation later absorbed into ARAMARK Corporation a Philadelphia-based global provider of food services.
References
External links
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