Tombstone (pizza) facts for kids
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An undercooked sausage and pepperoni Tombstone pizza
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| Owner | Nestlé |
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| Introduced | 1962 |
| Markets | United States |
Tombstone is a popular brand of frozen pizza that you can find in many stores. It comes with lots of different toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, bell peppers, and sausage. When you see a Tombstone pizza, you'll often notice a cactus on the package!
Contents
How Tombstone Pizza Started
Tombstone pizza began in Medford, Wisconsin, USA, in 1962. It was started by four people: Pep Simek, his brother Ron Simek, and two others.
The interesting name "Tombstone" came from a place called The Tombstone Tavern. This tavern was owned by the Simek family and was located right across the street from a cemetery. That's how it got its unique name!
Changes in Ownership
In 1988, the Tombstone Pizza Company became part of Kraft Foods. Even though it was owned by Kraft, Tombstone still operated like its own separate company. The people who worked for Tombstone were able to keep their jobs. However, Pep and Ron Simek stepped down from their roles in the business.
Later, on January 5, 2010, Kraft Foods announced a big change. They decided to sell their frozen pizza section to Swiss-based company Nestlé Foods. This sale included Tombstone and other popular pizza brands like DiGiorno and Jacks. Kraft used the money from this sale to buy another company called Cadbury, which makes chocolate. Today, the frozen pizza brands, including Tombstone, are part of Nestlé.
Fun Slogans for Tombstone Pizza
Tombstone pizza has had some memorable slogans over the years.
What Do You Want on Your Tombstone?
One famous slogan was "What do you want on your Tombstone?" This slogan was created by an advertising agency in Chicago. It was often used in funny commercials that looked like old Western movies.
In these commercials, someone would seem to be in trouble, like they were about to be "executed." Then, the "executioner" would ask, "What do you want on your tombstone?" (meaning, what message do you want written on your gravestone?). But instead of a serious answer, the person would say something like, "Pepperoni and cheese!" Then, a delicious Tombstone pizza would appear. It was a clever way to link the name to the product!
Shoulda Had That Tombstone
Another slogan used in the late 1990s and early 2000s was "Shoulda had that Tombstone." One TV commercial showed a boy hiding in his girlfriend's room. His stomach growled so loudly that her father heard it and caught him! The idea was that if he had eaten a Tombstone pizza, he wouldn't have been hungry and wouldn't have been caught.
See also
- List of frozen food brands
