Mrs. Schlorer's facts for kids

Mrs. Schlorer's was a famous brand that made mayonnaise and many other food items called condiments. It was first made by the Schlorer Delicatessen Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise is known for being the very first mayonnaise sold in jars in stores, starting in 1907. The company officially registered the names Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise and Mrs. Schlorer's Olivenaise as trademarks in 1917.

How It Started: A Delicious Idea

In the early 1900s, a woman named Amelia Schlorer from Philadelphia loved to make salads with her special mayonnaise for church events and other community gatherings. People really enjoyed it!

In 1907, she decided to try selling her mayonnaise. She filled twelve glass jelly jars, put typewritten labels on them with rubber bands, and offered them for sale. All twelve jars sold out in less than an hour! This was a big moment because it was the first time mayonnaise was sold commercially in America.

Amelia immediately started making more bottled mayonnaise in her family kitchen. Her two children helped her, and they even used a special European beating machine. As more and more people wanted her mayonnaise, stores asked Mrs. Schlorer to make the packaging look less homemade.

Amelia took a chance and went to a local glass factory. The factory had a rule that you had to buy at least 5 gross (which is 720 jars!). Amelia had one main request for the jars: the opening had to be wide enough for a tablespoon to easily fit inside. For six years, the Schlorer family mixed, bottled, and labeled everything by hand. They sold their mayonnaise to local grocery stores and even delivered it door-to-door. Because of the huge demand, the Schlorers officially started the Schlorer Delicatessen Company in 1913. Later, it became known as Mrs. Schlorer's, Inc.

The Company's Journey

The Schlorer Delicatessen Company was created in 1913 because Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise was so popular. They built a large four-story factory with a basement at Water and Mifflin Streets in Philadelphia. Edward Schlorer, Amelia's husband, owned and ran the company until he passed away in 1928. After his death, their son Charles Schlorer became the president, and their daughter Anna Schlorer Smith became the treasurer. They continued to run the family business.

In 1955, Mrs. Schlorer's, Inc. was sold to William H. and E. Donald Burns, who owned another company called Atlantic Syrup Refining Corp. The production of Mrs. Schlorer's products then moved from Philadelphia to Vineland, New Jersey. It was made at the same place as the Venice Maid Company.

Years later, in 1991, the rights to use the Mrs. Schlorer's brand name were bought by Connelly Containers, Inc. in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Then, in 1998, the brand rights were bought again by Good Food, Inc. in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania. Today, some of the Mrs. Schlorer's products are still made there!

Catchy Commercials

In 1942, Mrs. Schlorer's, Inc. created a special advertising jingle that they copyrighted. This song was used in many radio and television commercials for decades, especially in the Philadelphia area. The song, written by Bertram May and Billy James, helped people remember Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise as a must-have for making a delicious sandwich.

The popular song lyrics went like this:

"I'm a sandwich man,
I'm a sandwich man,
I can make a sandwich better than anyone can.
It should smell fresh like a daisy
so I make it mayonnaisey
and the mayonnaise that I use is Mrs. Schlorer's.

I'm a sandwich man,
I'm a sandwich man,
I can make a sandwich better than anyone can.
I want to be a sandwich man for the rest of my days
as long as I can use Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise."

Products They Made

Over more than 100 years, Mrs. Schlorer's made many different products. Here are some of them:

See also

• List of mayonnaises