JAY’S
Jays Potato Chips: From Delivery Truck to Snack Icon
Jays Potato Chips were originally released and manufactured in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929. Jays were created by Leonard Japp, Sr., with the recipe from his wife, Eugenia Japp, and produced by the Special Foods Company. In 1938, Japp partnered with George Johnson and began selling the chips under the brand name "Mrs. Japp’s Potato Chips" in honor of Japp's wife. Originally sold out of a Ford delivery truck, then to Chicago speakeasies, legend has it that infamous Al Capone, a frequent visitor to these hidden establishments, urged Japp to begin mass-producing the potato chips that were popular among his customers.
JAYS THROUGH THE YEARS
Jays was forced to change the name from Mrs. Japp’s Potato Chips to Jays following the attack on Pearl Harbor to avoid negative public associations with the surname “Japp.” The company was then named Jays Foods, Inc. They continued to expand throughout Chicago and the Midwest, opening a large manufacturing plant on 99th Street on Chicago's South Side. Jays became famous for their signature crunchy chips, fried in vegetable oil rather than lard, and soon became one of Chicago’s most recognizable regional snack brands. Their bright blue delivery trucks became a moving billboard, constantly reminding Chicago families of their products. Following the war in the 1950s, Jays expanded their line to produce a variety of new snacks, including pretzels, popcorn, and corn chips. The family business had grown into a major regional snack producer generating approximately $64 million in annual sales, but was sold in 1986 to Borden. The family repurchased it a few years later in 1994. Ownership of Jays Potato Chips shifted again in 2007, first becoming part of Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. following the 2016 merger of Snyder’s of Hanover and Lance Inc., and later joining The Campbell's Company in 2018 after Campbell’s acquired Snyder ’ s-Lance, which still owns and produces Jays.
