Cape Cod Potato Chips facts for kids
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| Private (1980–85) Subsidiary (1985–pres.) |
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| Founded | July 4, 1980 |
| Founder | Steve Bernard |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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| Products | Snack foods |
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Cape Cod Potato Chips is a famous American snack food company. It is best known for its special brand of kettle-cooked potato chips. The company's main office is in Hyannis, Massachusetts, which is on Cape Cod. Since 2018, Cape Cod Potato Chips has been owned by the Campbell Soup Company.
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The Story of Cape Cod Chips
The company was started by a man named Steve Bernard in 1980. He wanted to make healthier snacks that didn't have a lot of extra processing.
A Healthier Snack Idea
Before starting the chip company, Steve's wife, Lynn, owned a natural foods store. Steve noticed there weren't many healthy snack options available. He got the idea for his own chips after trying a natural potato chip from a company in Hawaii.
In 1980, Steve decided to go for it. He sold his auto parts business to start a potato chip business. He bought a small shop in Hyannis, Massachusetts, a popular spot for tourists. He also bought a large industrial potato slicer for $3,000. Steve didn't know much about making snacks, but he learned by taking a one-week course on chip making.
What Makes Kettle-Cooked Chips Different?
Cape Cod chips are not made like most other chips. Many big brands use a "continuous frying" method. This is where potato slices move on a conveyor belt through a large container of hot oil.
Instead, Cape Cod chips are cooked in batches using kettles. The potato slices are fried in a shallow container of oil while a worker stirs them with a rake. This method makes the chips extra crunchy. This kettle-style of cooking was the original way potato chips were made before the 1920s. Steve Bernard helped make this classic method popular again.
A Bumpy Start and Growing Success
The company opened on July 4, 1980, but it struggled for the first few months. That winter, a car crashed through the front window of the shop. Luckily, no one was hurt. The money from insurance and the news stories about the accident helped the business survive.
By the next summer, the company was doing much better. Sales grew quickly, and soon their chips were being sold in many supermarkets.
Changes in Ownership
Over the years, Cape Cod Potato Chips has been owned by a few different companies.
- In 1985, a large company called Anheuser-Busch bought it. By the next year, Cape Cod was selling 80,000 bags of chips a day all along the East Coast.
- In 1996, Steve Bernard bought his company back from Anheuser-Busch.
- In 1999, another snack company called Lance Inc. bought the company. By then, sales had reached $30 million a year.
- In 2018, the Campbell Soup Company acquired the company that owned Cape Cod, and it has been the parent company ever since.
See also
