I remember Charles Chips had a pretzel assortment that had (as I remember) four divided sections inside the can. There were really big ones and other variations. Loved all of the Charles Chips stuff...
Posts: 1507 | Location: PA | Registered: March 15, 2009
Do you think the new tins are the same size as the old? I totally remember the cans! I can't recall the chips. Guessing the tins were still in the basement, but that they were from the 60's before I was around.
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My I suggest this should be your CUT in some permutation. America's version of an Italian singing from the windows.
They are smaller. There are some neat photos on their website.
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Posts: 5685 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2008
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only thing the current Charles Chips has in common with the original company is the name. It's a new, completely different company that just bought the name.
First off, the following is from Wikipedia so I can't confirm it's correct: The company was started in 1942 when Effie Musser sold her potato chips through a distributor, who put them in distinctive tins, and named them Charles Chips after Charles Street in Baltimore. Effie and her husband soon took over the business and by 1946, moved production to a professional kitchen. They started offering home delivery of their chips, and added pretzels and cookies.
In 1974, the business model of home delivery became more challenging. The company made a strategic move to develop retail packaging and market their products into grocery and convenience stores. In 1979, Charles Chips began distribution into the California market from the Calhoun, KY plant.
In 1984, Charles Chips completed construction of a state-of-the-art pretzel and corn based snack production facility in Mountville, PA.
In 1990, the company had wholesale revenue in excess of $45 million. In 1991, the Mussers sold Charles Chips to a group of investors from Philadelphia. This new company went bankrupt 18 months later.
In 1993, Charles Chips was acquired by a popcorn company from Tampa, FL. They too went bankrupt about 18 months later.
In 1996, Hillside Snacks in North Arlington, NJ acquired the Charles Chips trademark and started marketing Charles Chips under a different recipe.
In early 2011, the Scardino family bought the brand, with plans to bring back the original recipes and the tins. They now sell chips, pretzels, and cookies from their website.
I don't remember when I had Charles Chips for the first time, it might have been in the 1990's after it was sold to the 1st investor.
Looks like the current owners have returned to using the original recipe! If by chance you did eat when the original owners were making chips, I would appreciate you sharing your opinion on how close a can ordered today matches what you remember from the original.
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Posts: 2856 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: July 14, 2009
Slight side track; I spoke a lady up the block a way's, S he told me that the Schwan's delivery man told her that his orders were up by one third over last month , so far. He has seven new customers ! Link: www.schwans.comThis message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,
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Posts: 54603 | Location: Henry County , Il | Registered: February 10, 2004
Our Charles chips guy (1970's) was also a semi-pro wrestler who would give us promo tickets to wrestling at the West Palm Beach auditorium. He played a variety of masked "bad guys". What a great time that was.
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Posts: 2769 | Location: The Tidewater. VCOA. | Registered: June 24, 2009
As a kid, I couldn't wait for the Charles Chip truck to arrive. We had them delivered on a schedule. One day they started putting a cardboard cone in the bottom of the can. I asked the chip man why the cone. He said it kept them from breaking. I said ok. Today I would know it was to reduce volume of chips without changing the size of the can.
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Posts: 567 | Location: Citrus Springs, Fl. | Registered: January 02, 2013
Yep no store finder, online only, $30-50 a tin delivered,
Charles Chips customer service responded quickly to my email inquiry. They said that local retail locations are Cracker Barrel and Fresh Market.
Saw that Cracker barrel had some, but it appeared to be bags not Tins, will have to check it out next time I'm there... We do have a fresh market close by...
Posts: 23393 | Location: Florida | Registered: November 07, 2008
