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The Food That Built America
2019 - 2025 7.8 (28 votes) 6 Seasons
Official Website
Genres
Documentary
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History

The Food That Built America

Overview

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

Top Cast

Campbell Scott
Campbell Scott

Narrator (voice)

Adam Richman
Adam Richman

Self - Tv Host

Seasons

Season 2 poster
Season 2 (2021)

No overview available.

16 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Pizza Wars
2021-02-09

In the 1950s, two brothers from Wichita, Kan., aim to build their restaurant, Pizza Hut, by introducing America to Italian dish-pizza. Americans soon fall in love with their pizza, but rival, Domino's, threatens to derail their success.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 2: The Chocolate Rush
2021-02-14

In 1919, Milton Hershey is king of the chocolate, but everything changes when sugar prices drop in the new post-WWI era. Competitors spring up, including Hershey's former employee HB Reese, who goes on to create one of the bestselling candies ever.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 3: The Kings of Burgers
2021-02-21

In the 1950s, Ray Kroc franchises McDonald's nationwide, but right behind Kroc, a wave of other entrepreneurs try to cash in on the fast-food restaurant craze. Two Florida visionaries start up what will become Kroc's biggest rival, by re-inventing their kitchen's equipment into the pioneering "flame broiler."

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 4: American Cheese
2021-02-28

At the turn of the 20th century, James Kraft challenges centuries of cheese-making tradition and forever alters the dairy industry with his new cheese innovation. Meanwhile, the Pabst brothers are desperate to keep their successful beer empire solvent through Prohibition.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 5: Cola Wars
2021-03-07

In the 1970s, one major cola brand launches a blind taste test marketing plan that takes direct aim at their biggest competitor. As a new era of competition heats up between the behemoth brands, each side selects a new leader who takes the companies to battle in a rivalry that will birth countless iconic soda products and memorable marketing stunts.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 6: Chip Dynasties
2021-03-14

Herman Lay takes regional and small-time chips business to a national scale with his cutting-edge sales techniques and world-changing packaging technology, while a rival innovator invents a new kind of snack chip that will challenge Lay's crown.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 7: Cookie Wars
2021-03-21

A business partnership gone wrong leads Adolphus Green to create one of the most iconic cookie and cracker companies in history, and revolutionize packaging.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 8: Soup Wars
2021-03-28

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 9: Godfathers of Fast Food
2021-04-04

A short order chef invents the hamburger bun and engineers a new way of making a burger faster than ever before; Nathan Handwerker invests his life savings into a hot dog stand at Coney Island.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 10: The TV Dinner
2021-04-11

Gilbert Swanson inherits his father's frozen turkey company and partners with a food chemist to innovate a revolutionary dinner that Americans can heat up at home... they call it the TV Dinner. And when a restauranteur named Vernon Stouffer tries to bring his frozen meals to market, he's blown out of the water by the TV Dinner... until he harnesses a new technology called...the microwave.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 11: Ice Cream Empires
2021-04-18

A young boy accidentally discovers a frozen treat on a stick, and grows up to bring an endearing classic to the world. Plus, a candy store owner radically re-invents ice cream and launches the first ever ice cream truck. But when both men own a patent on the same thing, the resulting battle will destroy one man, and cement the other's fortune.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 12: A Game of Chicken
2021-05-31

In the 1970's, Ray Kroc is far ahead of the competition. But when a burger chain claiming to be king poaches his third-highest ranking executive, Don Smith, it's war. Smith re-engineers the emerging rival, using the best ideas of his former franchise to modernize the brand. In an unprecedented move, Ray Kroc brings on a world renowned chef to develop the chicken nugget, breakfast, and try to crush the would-be king once and for all.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 13: When the Chips Are Down
2021-06-06

As C.E. Doolin and Herman Lay are out to prove the potential of the chips business in the 1950's, their success inspires one of the biggest companies in the world to enter the chip market. When a chemist begins work on a secret project, designing a strong, saddle-shaped chip and a revolutionary container to ship them in, the companies go head to head for market dominance.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 14: The Rise of a Rival
2021-06-13

When candy company president Charles Guth gets shafted by a Cola salesman, he decides to buy a bankrupt rival company and go to war with the supplier who wronged him and its new CEO, the maverick businessman Robert Woodruff. The battle will help shape the world of soda for decades to come.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 15: Gum Slingers
2021-06-20

William Wrigley stumbles upon a new product that will kickstart a revolution across industries, but not before sparking a life-long rivalry.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 16: Breakfast Barons
2021-06-27

Dr. John Kellogg and his brother start a revolution in breakfast, while rival C.W. Post takes direct aim at an empire of his own. And the creation of an iconic food comes at a cost, as the brothers’ relationship reaches a boiling point under the weight of their success.

Runtime: 43 min
Season 3 poster
Season 3 (2022)

Season three satisfies viewers’ appetites by sharing the origin stories of a group of bold pioneers behind America’s most iconic food empires such as Orville Redenbacher, Ettore “Chef” Boiardi, Wally Amos, Debbi Fields, and Tom Carvel among others.

12 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Submarine Warfare
2022-02-27

High School friends see an alternative to fast food with the "submarine" sandwich. But they are quickly met with the fierce competition of a new submarine joint, started by a physicist, that is trying to perfect the art of the franchise, and will go on to be the biggest restaurant chain in the world.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 2: A Cold One
2022-03-06

In the late 1800s, German immigrants Joseph Schlitz and Captain Frederick Pabst find themselves in a battle for beer dominance. In their fight for one upmanship they will help create the most popular alcoholic beverage on the planet, introduce lager beer to the nation, and become two of the biggest companies on Earth for half a century.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 3: Do or Donut
2022-03-13

When a commercial caterer realizes his two best selling items are donuts and coffee, he joins forces with his brother-in-law to create a revolutionary donut chain; soon a rivalry starts with a beloved Southern-based donut shop.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 4: A Dish Best Served... Soft
2022-03-20

When his ice cream truck breaks down, Tom Carvel discovers that half-melted ice cream is a surefire hit with customers.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 5: The Best Thing Since...
2022-03-27

In a quest to dominate the growing commercial bread industry, Lee Marshall bets on a new kind of white loaf, unwittingly inspiring a homemaker named Margaret Rudkin to come up with a healthier alternative.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 6: Cookie Fortunes
2022-04-03

Hollywood agent Wally Amos transforms his professional life when he decides to make and sell his own gourmet chocolate chip cookies, and opens America's first cookie store; housewife Debbi Fields opens her homestyle cookie shop in a mall.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 7: The Beef is On
2022-04-10

When Col. Sanders sells his company to investors in 1964, the new owners identify a rising star within the organization: Dave Thomas.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 8: Pop Stars
2022-04-17

Small town farmer Orville Redenbacher has a lifelong dream of creating the perfect popcorn kernel, leading to the first significant development of popcorn in thousands of years which he sells nationwide, eventually pitting him against industry rivals for supremacy of America’s oldest snack.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 9: Beyond the Burger
2022-04-24

Restaurateur Glen Bell works to create a burger alternative for the fast-food market and after several setbacks goes on to help introduce the taco to America; two brothers look to beat the burger by betting that a roast beef sandwich can compete.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 10: Chain Reaction
2022-05-01

Former wrestler Rocky Aoki and a perfume salesman become the unlikely fathers of a casual dining revolution when they open different establishments in the heart of New York City: one of America's first Japanese restaurants and a swinging singles bar.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 11: Let Them Eat Snack Cakes
2022-05-08

Martha Entenmann takes the reins of her late husband's baking company and grows it into a national powerhouse; a married couple bankrupt one bakery, but succeed their second time around with a revolutionary way to sell snack cakes.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 12: Pasta Party
2022-05-15

Hector and Mario Boiardi open an Italian restaurant in Cleveland in 1924 and soon introduce Italian food to Americans; the brothers eventually find themselves in competition with James Kraft and his newest offering, macaroni and cheese.

Runtime: 43 min
Season 4 poster
Season 4 (2023)

No overview available.

16 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Breakfast That Pops
2023-02-19

Two heavy-hitting cereal rivals duke it out for breakfast dominance; competition heats up when an idea is stolen; the ensuing battle transforms the breakfast landscape from a labor intensive meal at the table, to a meal of convenience on the go.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 2: Holiday Treats
2023-02-26

The top selling candy days of the year revolve around Easter, Valentine's Day and Halloween. And it all started with a few bold pioneers.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 3: Flight of the Buffalo Wing
2023-03-05

Before chicken wings were America's favorite Sunday football snack, they were considered an undesirable cut of meat. Until two restaurateurs in Buffalo, New York, reinvent the way wings are cooked.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 4: Candy Revolution
2023-03-12

A cereal executive's bold idea to finance the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie will kick-off a candy revolution that produces some of the most iconic, imaginative confections in history.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 5: Clash of the Coffee
2023-03-19

Coffee's quality and popularity wane by the 1960s, until a handful of visionaries turn the industry on its head. First, three college friends create an iconic brand of revolutionary gourmet Coffee. Then, this now-iconic chain creates an entirely new category of restaurant.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 6: The Chicken Coup
2023-03-26

A devout Georgia diner owner stumbles into the chicken game when he develops a unique fried chicken sandwich with a batch of cast-off filets. The unique sandwich he creates will become the menu centerpiece at one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 7: When Food Freezes Over
2023-04-02

Four intrepid food entrepreneurs race to harness emerging technologies like the home freezer and microwave, to bring revolutionary frozen snack icons to a waiting world, and forever change what we eat, when we eat, and how we eat.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 8: Thanksgiving Dinner
2023-04-09

A look at some staples of Thanksgiving dinner that weren't around until a few brands used technological advances to reinvent turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and more; food innovators made each part of the meal accessible.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 9: Peanut Butter Battle
2023-04-16

When an entrepreneur creates shelf-stable peanut butter out of his garage, it leads to the birth of an iconic sandwich; as competition heats up to be America's favorite peanut butter, three famous brands battle it out to be number one.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 10: American Spirits
2023-04-23

Two entrepreneurs rise from the ashes of Prohibition by staking everything on two liquors -- a bitter, bottom-shelf whisky, and a flavorless foreign moonshine -- and go on to save an industry and create two of the most popular brands in the country.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 11: Where There's Smoke
2023-06-11

A century ago, most backyard grilling essentials were not yet invented; Henry Ford, a tinkerer named Kingsford, and a passionate butcher created recognizable summer brands and changed the face of American backyards.

Runtime: 43 min
Episode 12: Thirst Quenchers
2023-06-18

Before juice was everywhere, these innovators used brilliant ingenuity to create the most nostalgic drink products and thirst quenchers of the last century, leading the charge on a new billion dollar beverage industry.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 13: Supermarket Sweep
2023-06-25

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help invent the modern supermarket.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 14: Bring Home the Bacon
2023-07-09

A young upstart named Oscar® Mayer creates one of the most iconic meat brands on the planet; pioneer Jay Hormel invents a meat product sold the world over, which becomes part of a $20 billion food empire.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 15: Dog Eat Dog
2023-07-16

At a time when dog food is a rarity and cat food is almost nonexistent, it will take visionary innovators to invent the first dog treat, dry food, the first cat food, and many more innovations that will carve out the billion-dollar pet food industry.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 16: Beer Run
2023-07-23

At a time when U.S. beer is dominated by the same lager style, one Milwaukee company experiments with something new.

Runtime: N/A min
Season 5 poster
Season 5 (2024)

No overview available.

12 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: All American Marinara
2024-02-25

Imagine a world where marinara sauce isn't part of the American palate. That was true nearly sixty years ago, when food conglomerate Campbells kickstarts what will become an Italian American food staple.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 2: Ice Cream Revolution
2024-03-03

A cab driver turned ice cream entrepreneur comes up with the idea to mix name brand candy into high quality ice cream to create new novel flavors. After opening an ice cream shop to share his mix-in creations, his concept skyrockets.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 3: Soda Rising: Birth of Pop
2024-03-10

In the late 1800s, two pharmacists 1500 miles apart race to create healthy, non-alcoholic beverage options, kickstarting the entire soda industry with their breakout hits: Hires Root Beer and Dr. Pepper.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 4: Sunshine in a Glass
2024-03-17

A scientist and businessman team up to develop a Vitamin C rich war ration for the troops fighting in World War 2, which unexpectedly leads to the development of a frozen concentrated orange juice that tastes great and allows for the widespread distribution of OJ for the first time in history. Soon after, a fruit salesman develops a process of flash pasteurizing fresh orange juice that turns the fledgling industry on its head. The two companies will go on to battle it out for domination.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 5: Let Them Bake Cake
2024-03-24

During the mid-20th century, two unlikely characters find themselves in competition to simplify the lives of homemakers across the country by creating a tasty but easy boxed cake-mix; America's sweetheart and the original foodie go head-to-head.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 6: Penny Candy Craze
2024-03-31

In the early 1900s, an underestimated confectioner creates the first wrapped penny candy--the Tootsie Roll. Meanwhile, an unemployed salesman transforms medicinal hard candy into a fruit flavored, multipack designed purely for fun with Tropical Charms. The two go on to kickstart an entire industry of nationally branded candies and transform the lollipop into a global icon.

Runtime: 42 min
Episode 7: Champions of Breakfast
2024-04-14

Will Kellogg is on top of the cereal industry after beating out post, but now, the king of cereal has met his match with a young flour mill executive; a decades long war for dominance ensues as Kellogg's and General Mills battle it out.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 8: Planet Mars
2024-04-21

After being kicked out of the family business by his father, Forrest Mars scratches and claws his way back to create a multi-sector global empire, Mars Inc. Today that empire is worth over $47 billion dollars and a family dynasty that is the third wealthiest in America, worth nearly $100 billion.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 9: Lunchbox Legends
2024-07-07

Lunchtime is one of the most enjoyable meals of every kid's day, but before the 1960s it was just another meal; then, three very different food visionaries take matters into their own hands.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 10: The Colonel
2024-07-14

Kentucky gas station owner, Harland Sanders, develops a new method for making fried chicken, drawing customers from far and wide.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 11: Citrus Soda Stars
2024-07-21

A small-time St. Louis soda maker, Charles Leiper Grigg, takes on Coke and Pepsi by introducing a clear, lemon-lime soda he calls 7-Up. At the same time, two brothers in Tennessee, Ali and Barney Hartman, have their own, called Mountain Dew.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 12: Burger Empire: The Ray Kroc Story
2024-07-28

In the 1950s, middle-aged salesman Ray Kroc is drowning in debt when he's inspired by a roadside burger stand he wants to spread nationwide, McDonald's; he creates the modern model of franchising and ignites a fast-food gold rush.

Runtime: N/A min
Season 6 poster
Season 6 (2025)

No overview available.

10 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Tortilla Takeover
2025-02-23

Bold visionaries take big risks to bring Mexican food to all Americans, by creating the best-selling condiment on the planet, two of the most famous snack chip brands of all time and innovating the iconic pairing of chips and salsa.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 2: Movie Theatre Munchies
2025-03-02

A struggling chocolate maker and a young theater assistant create the movie theater concession stand as we know it and launch the world's most iconic movie candies.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 3: Baking Chocolate Chip History
2025-03-09

A teacher turned restaurateur invents America's most popular cookie which leads to a battle of food giants, and one of the most iconic packaged cookies in history.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 4: Empire of Convenience
2025-03-16

The first convenience store is born, and with new innovations like late hours, to-go coffee, and America's most beloved slushy drink, it rises into an iconic chain with more locations than any other store or restaurant in the world.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 5: Legends of the Mall
2025-03-23

Early American malls have no food court, until a cinnamon bun, a pretzel, and a panda all move in to create three of the world's most iconic food brands and transform the American Mall.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 6: Coffee: A Brewed Awakening
2025-03-30

Jim Folger discovers a new way to bring coffee to the masses. Then another famous coffee brand gets its big break at the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. Plus, the creation of the iconic coffee machines that help make coffee a billion dollar industry.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 7: A Box of Chocolates
2025-04-13

Stephen Whitman introduces Americans to chocolate candy in a sampler box, Russell Stover builds a competing company, and both iconic brands help turn chocolate from an unknown import to a boxed American staple given as a gift of love to this day.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 8: Beer Necessities
2025-04-20

A German immigrant looks to revolutionize the American beer industry when he's handed a struggling brewery; his signature beer will go on to amass sales of over 11 billion dollars a year.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 9: Asian Food Invasion
2025-04-27

A down-on-his-luck Japanese businessman and a Chinese immigrant and her son change the American palette when they introduce instant noodles in a cup, Peking Duck, and the biggest Chinese restaurant chain in the nation.

Runtime: N/A min
Episode 10: You Don't Know Jack
2025-05-04

Jack Daniel, known for his determination and innovative spirit, teams up with a skilled distiller to create a new recipe that could change the whiskey game.

Runtime: N/A min

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