MINNEAPOLIS, April 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Häagen-Dazs® Shops are hosting their annual Free Cone Day on May 9, 2017. This year, it's about more than free ice cream— the Häagen-Dazs brand is showing its ongoing commitment to helping the bees. Ice cream lovers are invited to visit participating Häagen-Dazs Shops in the United States between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 to receive one free scoop of ice cream or sorbet in a cup, sugar cone or cake cone. In return, the brand is asking guests to pay it forward by planting wildflowers native to their region to help keep bees buzzing.

"Free Cone Day is our favorite day of the year because we can take time to thank our loyal fans. This year, we want to take it a step further and call attention to the bees who also support us year-round in a much different way," said Adam Hanson, The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company, Inc. President and General Manager. "Without bees, many of our indulgent flavors would disappear from our shops, including Vanilla Swiss Almond, Strawberry and Rocky Road."

Bees are critical to the environment, supporting one in every three bites of food we eat, including ingredients that are used in more than one-third of Häagen-Dazs ice cream flavors. By working with its farmer suppliers, the Häagen-Dazs brand is helping to change the way ingredients are grown to better support bee populations.

"Last year, we installed one of the world's largest, privately funded pollinator habitats on the farm that supplies our almonds, one of our most popular ingredients. The habitat consists of six and a half miles of hedgerow and 11,000 native drought-tolerant shrubs and flowering plants, impacting 840 acres of farmland," said Alex Placzek, Director of the Häagen-Dazs brand. "Those who stop by our shops on Free Cone Day can find out which of their favorite flavors rely on the bees and learn how to help – it's as easy as planting a seed."

In order to supply what pollinators need, the Häagen-Dazs brand worked with expert agronomists and the Xerces Society to maximize the impact of the habitat by choosing native plants that are attractive to pollinators.

This Free Cone Day, the Häagen-Dazs brand encourages everyone to visit a Häagen-Dazs Shops location to try one of the many bee dependent ice cream flavors and join in the effort to save the bees. Find out which regional plants support pollinators and help create more bee-friendly habitats throughout the country. For more information, visit www.haagendazs.com.

For more information about Häagen-Dazs Shops' Free Cone Day and to find out which local Häagen-Dazs Shops are participating, please check the Shop Finder at www.haagendazs.us/freeconeday.  

The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company is always seeking new franchise owners with a passion for Häagen-Dazs super-premium ice cream to open shops in premier locations. To learn more about Häagen-Dazs Shops or how to open a franchise, please visit the www.haagendazsshoppecompany.com. 

About Häagen-Dazs Shops
The first Häagen-Dazs Shop opened in Brooklyn, NY in 1976, giving consumers a new outlet for the distinctive velvety, super-premium ice cream of Häagen-Dazs. Today the Häagen-Dazs Shops system in the United States is made up of more than 200 independently owned and operated locations, franchised by The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company, Inc., which proudly offer top quality indulgent desserts that start with Häagen-Dazs products. For more information, please visit www.haagendazs.us/shops, join the company's fan page at www.facebook.com/HaagenDazsUS and follow the brand on Twitter at @HaagenDazs_US.

The Häagen-Dazs® trademark is used under license. ©HDIP, Inc. 

SOURCE Haagen-Dazs Shops

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