Smartfood facts for kids
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| Owner | Frito-Lay |
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| Introduced | 1985 |
Smartfood is a popular American brand of popcorn that comes already popped and flavored. It was started in 1984 by three friends: Annie Withey, Andrew Martin, and Ken Meyers. They created it in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In 1989, a big company called Frito-Lay bought Smartfood for $15 million.
Contents
The Story of Smartfood
How Smartfood Began
Smartfood was first made in 1985. Andrew Martin was the chairman and CEO, Ken Meyers was in charge of operations, and Martin's wife, Annie Withey, handled customer relations. They started their company in Hampton, Connecticut. The popcorn was first sold under the Smartfood name in 1985. It was made in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The Yandow family also helped bring Smartfood to stores.
Why Smartfood Was Different
Andrew Martin explained that their popcorn was special. He said, "Unlike the cheese popcorn already on the market, ours was made with real cheese and it didn't glow in the dark." They wanted to make a high-quality snack. At the time, many people thought pre-popped popcorn in a bag wasn't very good. They felt it wasn't fresh and was too expensive compared to making popcorn at home. Smartfood aimed to change that idea.
Smartfood Joins Frito-Lay
In January 1989, Frito-Lay, a large snack company from Texas, bought Smartfood. They paid $15 million for the brand.
What Happened Next
After selling Smartfood, Annie Withey and Andrew Martin started another company. They created Annie's Homegrown. This company sells organic products like macaroni and cheese and pasta.
In 2012, Frito-Lay added more flavors to the Smartfood brand. The Smartfood logo was updated in 2019. In 2021, some people noticed that the recipe for the popcorn seemed to have changed. By 2024, Smartfood had become the best-selling brand of ready-to-eat popcorn.
See Also
External Links
- "The Din of Popcorn Fills the Land" – An article from The New York Times.
- "A Macaroni Company With Homespun Appeal" – Another article from The New York Times.
- "Smartfood Rides Popcorn Seesaw" – An article from Advertising Age.
- "The Snack Food That's Eating America" – An article from Inc. magazine.
