The Food That Built America

Pizza Wars

In the 1950s, two brothers from Wichita, Kan., aim to build their restaurant, Pizza Hut, by introducing America to Itali

The Chocolate Rush

In 1919, Milton Hershey is king of the chocolate, but everything changes when sugar prices drop in the new post-WWI era.

The Kings of Burgers

In the 1950s, Ray Kroc franchises McDonald's nationwide, but right behind Kroc, a wave of other entrepreneurs try to cas

American Cheese

At the turn of the 20th century, James Kraft challenges centuries of cheese-making tradition and forever alters the dair

Cola Wars

In the 1970s, one major cola brand launches a blind taste test marketing plan that takes direct aim at their biggest com

Chip Dynasties

Herman Lay takes regional and small-time chips business to a national scale with his cutting-edge sales techniques and w

Cookie Wars

A business partnership gone wrong leads Adolphus Green to create one of the most iconic cookie and cracker companies in

Soup Wars

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat

Godfathers of Fast Food

A short order chef invents the hamburger bun and engineers a new way of making a burger faster than ever before; Nathan

The TV Dinner

Gilbert Swanson inherits his father's frozen turkey company and partners with a food chemist to innovate a revolutionary

Ice Cream Empires

A young boy accidentally discovers a frozen treat on a stick, and grows up to bring an endearing classic to the world. P

A Game of Chicken

In the 1970's, Ray Kroc is far ahead of the competition. But when a burger chain claiming to be king poaches his third-h

When the Chips Are Down

As C.E. Doolin and Herman Lay are out to prove the potential of the chips business in the 1950's, their success inspires

The Rise of a Rival

When candy company president Charles Guth gets shafted by a Cola salesman, he decides to buy a bankrupt rival company an

Gum Slingers

William Wrigley stumbles upon a new product that will kickstart a revolution across industries, but not before sparking

Breakfast Barons

Dr. John Kellogg and his brother start a revolution in breakfast, while rival C.W. Post takes direct aim at an empire of

Submarine Warfare

High School friends see an alternative to fast food with the "submarine" sandwich. But they are quickly met with the fie

A Cold One

In the late 1800s, German immigrants Joseph Schlitz and Captain Frederick Pabst find themselves in a battle for beer dom

Do or Donut

When a commercial caterer realizes his two best selling items are donuts and coffee, he joins forces with his brother-in

A Dish Best Served... Soft

When his ice cream truck breaks down, Tom Carvel discovers that half-melted ice cream is a surefire hit with customers.

The Best Thing Since...

In a quest to dominate the growing commercial bread industry, Lee Marshall bets on a new kind of white loaf, unwittingly

Cookie Fortunes

Hollywood agent Wally Amos transforms his professional life when he decides to make and sell his own gourmet chocolate c

The Beef is On

When Col. Sanders sells his company to investors in 1964, the new owners identify a rising star within the organization:

Pop Stars

Small town farmer Orville Redenbacher has a lifelong dream of creating the perfect popcorn kernel, leading to the first

Beyond the Burger

Restaurateur Glen Bell works to create a burger alternative for the fast-food market and after several setbacks goes on

Chain Reaction

Former wrestler Rocky Aoki and a perfume salesman become the unlikely fathers of a casual dining revolution when they op

Let Them Eat Snack Cakes

Martha Entenmann takes the reins of her late husband's baking company and grows it into a national powerhouse; a married

Pasta Party

Hector and Mario Boiardi open an Italian restaurant in Cleveland in 1924 and soon introduce Italian food to Americans; t

Breakfast That Pops

Two heavy-hitting cereal rivals duke it out for breakfast dominance; competition heats up when an idea is stolen; the en

Holiday Treats

The top selling candy days of the year revolve around Easter, Valentine's Day and Halloween. And it all started with a f

Flight of the Buffalo Wing

Before chicken wings were America's favorite Sunday football snack, they were considered an undesirable cut of meat. Unt

Candy Revolution

A cereal executive's bold idea to finance the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie will kick-off a candy revolu

Clash of the Coffee

Coffee's quality and popularity wane by the 1960s, until a handful of visionaries turn the industry on its head. First,

The Chicken Coup

A devout Georgia diner owner stumbles into the chicken game when he develops a unique fried chicken sandwich with a batc

When Food Freezes Over

Four intrepid food entrepreneurs race to harness emerging technologies like the home freezer and microwave, to bring rev

Thanksgiving Dinner

A look at some staples of Thanksgiving dinner that weren't around until a few brands used technological advances to rein

Peanut Butter Battle

When an entrepreneur creates shelf-stable peanut butter out of his garage, it leads to the birth of an iconic sandwich;

American Spirits

Two entrepreneurs rise from the ashes of Prohibition by staking everything on two liquors -- a bitter, bottom-shelf whis

Where There's Smoke

A century ago, most backyard grilling essentials were not yet invented; Henry Ford, a tinkerer named Kingsford, and a pa

Thirst Quenchers

Before juice was everywhere, these innovators used brilliant ingenuity to create the most nostalgic drink products and t

Supermarket Sweep

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help inv

Bring Home the Bacon

A young upstart named Oscar® Mayer creates one of the most iconic meat brands on the planet; pioneer Jay Hormel invents

Dog Eat Dog

At a time when dog food is a rarity and cat food is almost nonexistent, it will take visionary innovators to invent the

Beer Run

At a time when U.S. beer is dominated by the same lager style, one Milwaukee company experiments with something new.

All American Marinara

Imagine a world where marinara sauce isn't part of the American palate. That was true nearly sixty years ago, when food

Ice Cream Revolution

A cab driver turned ice cream entrepreneur comes up with the idea to mix name brand candy into high quality ice cream to

Soda Rising: Birth of Pop

In the late 1800s, two pharmacists 1500 miles apart race to create healthy, non-alcoholic beverage options, kickstarting

Sunshine in a Glass

A scientist and businessman team up to develop a Vitamin C rich war ration for the troops fighting in World War 2, which

Let Them Bake Cake

Penny Candy Craze

In the early 1900s, an underestimated confectioner creates the first wrapped penny candy--the Tootsie Roll. Meanwhile, a

Champions of Breakfast

Will Kellogg is on top of the cereal industry after beating out post, but now, the king of cereal has met his match with

Planet Mars

After being kicked out of the family business by his father, Forrest Mars scratches and claws his way back to create a m

Lunchbox Legends

Lunchtime is one of the most enjoyable meals of every kid's day, but before the 1960s it was just another meal; then, th

The Colonel

Kentucky gas station owner, Harland Sanders, develops a new method for making fried chicken, drawing customers from far

Citrus Soda Stars

A small-time St. Louis soda maker, Charles Leiper Grigg, takes on Coke and Pepsi by introducing a clear, lemon-lime soda

Burger Empire: The Ray Kroc Story

In the 1950s, middle-aged salesman Ray Kroc is drowning in debt when he's inspired by a roadside burger stand he wants t

Tortilla Takeover

Bold visionaries take big risks to bring Mexican food to all Americans, by creating the best-selling condiment on the pl

Movie Theatre Munchies

A struggling chocolate maker and a young theater assistant create the movie theater concession stand as we know it and l

Baking Chocolate Chip History

A teacher turned restaurateur invents America's most popular cookie which leads to a battle of food giants, and one of t

Empire of Convenience

The first convenience store is born, and with new innovations like late hours, to-go coffee, and America's most beloved

Legends of the Mall

Early American malls have no food court, until a cinnamon bun, a pretzel, and a panda all move in to create three of the

Coffee: A Brewed Awakening

Jim Folger discovers a new way to bring coffee to the masses. Then another famous coffee brand gets its big break at the

A Box of Chocolates

Stephen Whitman introduces Americans to chocolate candy in a sampler box, Russell Stover builds a competing company, and

Beer Necessities

A German immigrant looks to revolutionize the American beer industry when he's handed a struggling brewery; his signatur

Asian Food Invasion

A down-on-his-luck Japanese businessman and a Chinese immigrant and her son change the American palette when they introd

You Don't Know Jack

Jack Daniel, known for his determination and innovative spirit, teams up with a skilled distiller to create a new recipe

Pizza Power Play

Two pizza juggernauts expand their empires as a hungry new contender turns the fight into a three-way race to become Ame

Cereal Killers

Rival cereal giants race to invent the next must-have bowl, sparking a sugary arms race of mascots, crunch, candy, and t

The Birth of Bubblegum

A struggling candy maker’s botched experiment leads to the world’s first bubble gum, its distinctive color, and a de

Drive-Thru Burger Revolution

Three burger operators race to serve a new generation on wheels, and a primitive intercom and sliding window evolve into

Chocolate in a Glass

A chemist unlocks a chocolate syrup that transforms milk into a magic sensation, a scrappy soda shop owner cracks the co

Clash of the Cookie Giants

A century ago, the cookie industry didn't exist, until a wave of innovators turn it into a $15 billion powerhouse.

Cheesecake Chronicles

A struggling cheesemaker, a New York restauranteur, a small-time baker, and a determined mother-son duo transform a humb

Rice to Riches

A keen-eyed immigrant, a candy mogul, and two pasta-making brothers reinvent rice for America’s kitchens by making it

Burgers, Burritos, & the Battle for Fast Food

An upstart chain innovates iconic menu items and fast food staples including a value menu and free refills, while fendin

Icons of Ice Cream

From the first ice cream bar in history, to the invention of classic flavors, a century of bold innovators transforms ic

Spilling the Tea

A beverage giant is challenged for dominance by two upstart companies from Brooklyn to revolutionize the beverage market

Let's Get Crackering

As two baking powerhouses collide, scrappy upstarts and mom-and-pop players help turn crackers into a snack aisle staple

Cereal Sensations

Cereal pioneers battle for control of America's breakfast table.

Say Yes to the Dressing

Richard Hellmann deli's mayonnaise launches America's condiment revolution.