Chef Boyardee's founder sold the brand for $6 million in 1946-Conagra has just sold it for $600 million to a private equity firm
Briefly

Chef Boyardee, founded by immigrant Hector Boiardi, represents the American Dream. After establishing his culinary expertise in luxury New York hotels, Boiardi opened a restaurant in Cleveland. The brand soared to nationwide prominence, thriving even during the Great Depression. A significant milestone was its production of field rations for the military during World War II, catapulting revenue to $20 million annually. Today, Chef Boyardee is recognized for its canned pasta products and has grown immensely in value, recently selling for $600 million after nearly a century of success.
The Chef Boyardee brand has grown from a $6 million sale in 1946 to a $600 million deal today, marking a 10,000% increase in value.
Hector Boiardi, Chef Boyardee's founder, first made a name for himself as a top chef at big-name New York City hotels like the Ritz-Carlton.
The Chef Boyardee brand has stock on thousands of grocery store shelves and boasts a 500-person strong manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.
During World War II, Chef Boyardee created field rations for the armed services, significantly increasing its annual revenue.
Read at Fortune
[
|
]