1 00:00:02,127 --> 00:00:03,503 - [Narrator] It is the nation's number one condiment 2 00:00:03,503 --> 00:00:07,174 with an astonishing $3 billion worth sold every year. 3 00:00:07,174 --> 00:00:09,176 - You cannot overstate 4 00:00:09,176 --> 00:00:12,513 how significant the success of mayonnaise is. 5 00:00:12,513 --> 00:00:15,641 - [Narrator] Today, mayonnaise touches nearly every corner 6 00:00:15,641 --> 00:00:17,142 of the American kitchen. 7 00:00:17,142 --> 00:00:19,937 - Think about how many dressings, and dips, 8 00:00:19,937 --> 00:00:23,524 and salads that we owe to mayonnaise. 9 00:00:23,524 --> 00:00:25,692 - [Narrator] But that wasn't always the case. 10 00:00:25,692 --> 00:00:27,444 - It's crazy to think that there was a time 11 00:00:27,444 --> 00:00:29,780 where mayo wasn't the all-purpose condiment 12 00:00:29,780 --> 00:00:31,323 that we think of today 13 00:00:31,323 --> 00:00:33,700 - [Narrator] Until a small-time deli owner... 14 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:36,203 - You just wanna buy my mayonnaise? 15 00:00:36,203 --> 00:00:38,413 - [Narrator] Introduces Mayo to the masses. 16 00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:42,000 - He distinguishes it with a blue ribbon. 17 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,585 - [Narrator] To build a brand 18 00:00:43,585 --> 00:00:46,547 that dominates as the number one mayonnaise in the world. 19 00:00:46,547 --> 00:00:49,716 - Hellmann's didn't just win the category. 20 00:00:49,716 --> 00:00:51,301 Like, it created it. 21 00:00:51,301 --> 00:00:52,803 - [Narrator] And lays the foundation 22 00:00:52,803 --> 00:00:55,055 for an entirely new industry. 23 00:00:55,055 --> 00:00:57,975 - There weren't bottled salad dressings, so people are like, 24 00:00:57,975 --> 00:01:00,477 "Oh, I'll put some mayonnaise on this salad." 25 00:01:00,477 --> 00:01:01,853 [compelling music] 26 00:01:01,853 --> 00:01:03,230 - [Narrator] But it will take a veterinarian 27 00:01:03,230 --> 00:01:04,690 with a restaurant dream. 28 00:01:04,690 --> 00:01:06,149 - Now that's something people will come back for. 29 00:01:06,149 --> 00:01:07,484 [Lena chuckling] 30 00:01:07,484 --> 00:01:09,361 - He calls this place The Wish-Bone. 31 00:01:09,361 --> 00:01:12,281 [compelling music] 32 00:01:12,281 --> 00:01:13,907 - [Narrator] And an Alaskan plumber. 33 00:01:13,907 --> 00:01:16,243 - Sauce of the steak is good, Steve. 34 00:01:16,243 --> 00:01:18,662 - So they start calling it after that little ranch 35 00:01:18,662 --> 00:01:20,330 in a hidden valley. 36 00:01:20,330 --> 00:01:22,916 - [Narrator] To turn unlikely creations. 37 00:01:22,916 --> 00:01:25,252 - He's introduced America to Italian dressing. 38 00:01:25,252 --> 00:01:27,337 - [Narrator] Into American staples. 39 00:01:27,337 --> 00:01:31,091 - Ranch, that's a distinctly American flavor. 40 00:01:31,091 --> 00:01:32,217 - [Narrator] Building a market 41 00:01:32,217 --> 00:01:35,387 worth more than $3 1/2 billion. 42 00:01:35,387 --> 00:01:38,807 - Today, nearly 270 million Americans 43 00:01:38,807 --> 00:01:40,350 say they use bottled salad dressing. 44 00:01:40,350 --> 00:01:42,853 - It's the only thing that makes salad tolerable. 45 00:01:42,853 --> 00:01:45,772 - They've made our world a much more flavorful place. 46 00:01:45,772 --> 00:01:47,399 [rock music] 47 00:01:47,399 --> 00:01:50,360 [compelling music] 48 00:02:01,288 --> 00:02:04,041 [pensive music] 49 00:02:07,502 --> 00:02:09,378 - [Narrator] It's the late 1800s, 50 00:02:09,378 --> 00:02:11,840 the height of the Gilded Age. 51 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,634 The number of millionaires in the country 52 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:18,305 has exploded from 50 to 4,000 in a single generation. 53 00:02:18,305 --> 00:02:22,893 And with that wealth comes an appetite for new luxuries. 54 00:02:22,893 --> 00:02:25,062 - Back then, a lot of wealthy Americans 55 00:02:25,062 --> 00:02:27,272 were traveling more frequently to Europe 56 00:02:27,272 --> 00:02:29,858 and really getting to taste the finer things in life, 57 00:02:29,858 --> 00:02:33,695 and a lot of that was based around French cuisine. 58 00:02:33,695 --> 00:02:36,698 - Some French food really defines what it means 59 00:02:36,698 --> 00:02:39,493 to have like fancy food in America at this point. 60 00:02:39,493 --> 00:02:43,080 And with that comes all these new ingredients, 61 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,083 and preparation techniques, and recipes. 62 00:02:46,083 --> 00:02:48,126 - [Narrator] Soon, a delicate French sauce 63 00:02:48,126 --> 00:02:49,795 begins appearing on menus 64 00:02:49,795 --> 00:02:51,880 of the country's finest restaurants. 65 00:02:53,131 --> 00:02:57,135 - It is an emulsion of raw egg yolks and oil. 66 00:02:57,135 --> 00:03:01,014 And if you continue to whisk it and whip it together, 67 00:03:01,014 --> 00:03:03,850 the oil and the egg yolk slowly combine 68 00:03:03,850 --> 00:03:06,186 into this beautiful creamy white sauce 69 00:03:06,186 --> 00:03:08,355 that even stays creamy at room temperature, 70 00:03:08,355 --> 00:03:10,232 and that becomes the foundation 71 00:03:10,232 --> 00:03:12,526 of what we know as mayonnaise. 72 00:03:12,526 --> 00:03:14,569 [suspenseful music] 73 00:03:14,569 --> 00:03:16,071 - [Jason] The earliest usage of mayonnaise 74 00:03:16,071 --> 00:03:18,824 would've been to dress what we'd call salads today, 75 00:03:18,824 --> 00:03:22,994 dressing cold meats, so like chicken or poached lobster. 76 00:03:22,994 --> 00:03:26,915 - Delmonico's, I think as early as 1838, in New York City, 77 00:03:26,915 --> 00:03:31,128 served a chicken mayonnaise or a mayonnaise of lobster. 78 00:03:31,128 --> 00:03:33,713 - [Adam] At the iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 79 00:03:33,713 --> 00:03:35,257 they begin making a salad, 80 00:03:35,257 --> 00:03:37,050 taking leftover cold chicken 81 00:03:37,050 --> 00:03:40,595 and combining it with great apples, sometimes walnuts, 82 00:03:40,595 --> 00:03:44,224 binding it with mayonnaise, serving it with crisp lettuce, 83 00:03:44,224 --> 00:03:48,103 and suddenly the Waldorf salad is born. 84 00:03:48,103 --> 00:03:50,397 - [Narrator] Yet beyond these gilded dining rooms, 85 00:03:50,397 --> 00:03:53,483 most Americans have never heard of mayonnaise. 86 00:03:53,483 --> 00:03:55,694 - [David] Heinz was the ketchup that you might have known. 87 00:03:55,694 --> 00:03:57,654 French's was the mustard that you might have known. 88 00:03:57,654 --> 00:04:00,282 There wasn't a brand that was attached to mayonnaise. 89 00:04:01,616 --> 00:04:03,493 - [Narrator] By the early 20th century, 90 00:04:03,493 --> 00:04:05,370 one place an average American 91 00:04:05,370 --> 00:04:07,998 may unknowingly taste mayonnaise 92 00:04:07,998 --> 00:04:10,792 is at a European-style delicatessen. 93 00:04:10,792 --> 00:04:12,919 - [Adam] Eventually, mayonnaise finds its way 94 00:04:12,919 --> 00:04:15,755 into immigrant enclaves throughout New York. 95 00:04:15,755 --> 00:04:19,009 German and Jewish delis began using it 96 00:04:19,009 --> 00:04:21,636 in the preparation of things like chicken salads, 97 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:23,930 egg salads, white fish salads. 98 00:04:23,930 --> 00:04:25,766 - [Narrator] On Manhattan's Upper West Side, 99 00:04:25,766 --> 00:04:28,018 one deli owner makes fresh mayonnaise 100 00:04:28,018 --> 00:04:30,729 for his salads by hand daily. 101 00:04:30,729 --> 00:04:34,065 - He's a German immigrant who has a background in food, 102 00:04:34,065 --> 00:04:35,317 and this obsession 103 00:04:35,317 --> 00:04:37,652 with really, really high-quality products. 104 00:04:37,652 --> 00:04:38,945 - His mayonnaise recipe 105 00:04:38,945 --> 00:04:40,864 is based on one that's been passed down 106 00:04:40,864 --> 00:04:42,991 through his wife's family of deli owners. 107 00:04:42,991 --> 00:04:44,785 But he has made a few adjustments, 108 00:04:44,785 --> 00:04:47,287 adapting the acidity and adding a few extra spices. 109 00:04:47,287 --> 00:04:48,789 [suspenseful music] 110 00:04:48,789 --> 00:04:51,082 - [Narrator] But the delicatessen is struggling, 111 00:04:51,082 --> 00:04:55,003 and he's not sure how much longer it will survive. 112 00:04:55,003 --> 00:04:56,505 - [Brooke] The competition is steep 113 00:04:56,505 --> 00:04:59,883 because every other deli is selling his exact same menu. 114 00:04:59,883 --> 00:05:02,010 They have cured meats, pickled vegetables, 115 00:05:02,010 --> 00:05:03,804 and composed salads. 116 00:05:03,804 --> 00:05:07,516 - [Adam] After six years of incredibly long, exhaustive 117 00:05:07,516 --> 00:05:09,559 hours, a doctor ultimately told him 118 00:05:09,559 --> 00:05:12,145 he needed to step away from the business 119 00:05:12,145 --> 00:05:14,105 or risk dying early. 120 00:05:14,105 --> 00:05:15,524 So he has the dilemma, 121 00:05:15,524 --> 00:05:20,403 "What can I create to both make my deli stand out 122 00:05:20,403 --> 00:05:22,405 without killing me in the process?" 123 00:05:22,405 --> 00:05:23,698 [suspenseful music] 124 00:05:23,698 --> 00:05:25,033 - [Customer] How do you make your mayonnaise? 125 00:05:25,033 --> 00:05:28,036 [compelling music] 126 00:05:29,162 --> 00:05:31,122 - It's on us. - [Customer] Thank you. 127 00:05:31,122 --> 00:05:34,084 [compelling music] 128 00:05:38,129 --> 00:05:40,257 - What was all that? 129 00:05:40,257 --> 00:05:43,718 - She thought she might try making mayonnaise at home. 130 00:05:43,718 --> 00:05:46,096 Changed her mind when she heard what went into it. 131 00:05:46,096 --> 00:05:48,765 - [David] Making mayonnaise, it's a little bit of a hassle. 132 00:05:48,765 --> 00:05:50,851 - [Jason] Back then, this all had to be done by hand. 133 00:05:50,851 --> 00:05:52,352 You know, you have to dribble this oil 134 00:05:52,352 --> 00:05:54,396 into these eggs very carefully. 135 00:05:54,396 --> 00:05:56,481 And if you break the emulsion, 136 00:05:56,481 --> 00:05:58,400 you know, things become a mess. 137 00:05:59,442 --> 00:06:01,695 - He realizes everyone is selling salads, 138 00:06:01,695 --> 00:06:03,613 but the reason they love his salads 139 00:06:03,613 --> 00:06:05,949 is because they're dressed with his mayonnaise. 140 00:06:05,949 --> 00:06:08,243 He figures, "Why don't I package this, 141 00:06:08,243 --> 00:06:10,287 so people can use it at home?" 142 00:06:10,287 --> 00:06:12,622 - [Narrator] His name is Richard Hellmann. 143 00:06:13,790 --> 00:06:15,876 Today, his name and iconic Blue Ribbon 144 00:06:15,876 --> 00:06:18,628 are on shelves in 65 countries, 145 00:06:18,628 --> 00:06:23,550 with 1,000 bottles sold every single minute, 146 00:06:23,550 --> 00:06:27,971 dominating the top spot in a $13.5 billion market. 147 00:06:27,971 --> 00:06:30,140 [suspenseful music] 148 00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:33,351 He'll transform mayonnaise from a simple salad dressing 149 00:06:33,351 --> 00:06:37,606 into a product that outsells ketchup, mustard, and salsa 150 00:06:37,606 --> 00:06:40,108 as the number one condiment in America. 151 00:06:40,108 --> 00:06:42,694 [suspenseful music] 152 00:06:42,694 --> 00:06:44,946 But in 1912, no one has thought 153 00:06:44,946 --> 00:06:47,991 to sell the little known dressing on its own, 154 00:06:47,991 --> 00:06:50,035 until Hellmann sees its potential 155 00:06:50,035 --> 00:06:53,121 beyond just the deli salads he makes. 156 00:06:53,121 --> 00:06:54,914 - [Rutledge] So, in the early 20th century, 157 00:06:54,914 --> 00:06:57,083 that's really where we got the birth 158 00:06:57,083 --> 00:06:59,669 of the green salads that we know today. 159 00:07:00,837 --> 00:07:02,797 - [Jason] But they were kind of boring. 160 00:07:02,797 --> 00:07:04,633 - [Rutledge] So, people really start looking for a way 161 00:07:04,633 --> 00:07:07,218 to dress these green salads up a bit. 162 00:07:07,218 --> 00:07:08,845 [pensive music] 163 00:07:08,845 --> 00:07:11,598 - Americans are making all of their salad dressings at home. 164 00:07:11,598 --> 00:07:14,392 - [Jason] And the idea of a dressing is really just an oil 165 00:07:14,392 --> 00:07:16,311 or an oil and vinegarette. 166 00:07:16,311 --> 00:07:19,314 - [Rutledge] There weren't these bottled salad dressings back 167 00:07:19,314 --> 00:07:21,816 then, so Hellmann thinks that maybe Americans 168 00:07:21,816 --> 00:07:24,986 will love putting mayonnaise on a green salad. 169 00:07:24,986 --> 00:07:27,947 [suspenseful music] 170 00:07:27,947 --> 00:07:30,408 - [Narrator] Hellmann starts offering small portions 171 00:07:30,408 --> 00:07:32,285 to customers for a nickel. 172 00:07:32,285 --> 00:07:34,412 - [Kate] Now, it's so obvious to buy mayonnaise at the store, 173 00:07:34,412 --> 00:07:35,872 but at the time, 174 00:07:35,872 --> 00:07:38,083 the idea of buying mayonnaise was just unheard of. 175 00:07:38,083 --> 00:07:39,668 - So at first, everything goes well. 176 00:07:39,668 --> 00:07:41,586 People are coming in just to buy his mayo, 177 00:07:41,586 --> 00:07:43,922 but there's a serious kink in his plan. 178 00:07:43,922 --> 00:07:45,048 [suspenseful music] 179 00:07:45,048 --> 00:07:46,383 [container clattering] 180 00:07:46,383 --> 00:07:47,884 - This dressing you sold me spoiled in two days. 181 00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:49,386 [suspenseful music] 182 00:07:49,386 --> 00:07:52,055 - [Jason] Back then, people weren't familiar with 183 00:07:52,055 --> 00:07:53,431 mayonnaise, so they didn't really know how to keep it, 184 00:07:53,431 --> 00:07:54,849 how long it could be kept out. 185 00:07:54,849 --> 00:07:57,936 - It is meant to be eaten fresh. 186 00:07:57,936 --> 00:08:02,607 - [Sarah] Mayonnaise is not the easiest thing to keep long-term. 187 00:08:02,607 --> 00:08:04,484 - [Rutledge] The first electric refrigerator 188 00:08:04,484 --> 00:08:06,653 hasn't even been invented at this point. 189 00:08:06,653 --> 00:08:08,071 It's gonna be decades 190 00:08:08,071 --> 00:08:11,408 before most Americans even understand what that is. 191 00:08:11,408 --> 00:08:14,244 - [Adam] Unfortunately, you have to remember, 192 00:08:14,244 --> 00:08:17,247 mayonnaise is largely comprised of raw egg yolk, 193 00:08:17,247 --> 00:08:19,082 salmonella's best friend. 194 00:08:19,082 --> 00:08:22,043 It's a perfect breeding ground for food poisoning. 195 00:08:22,043 --> 00:08:23,712 - Again, my apologies. 196 00:08:23,712 --> 00:08:24,713 If there's anything I can do to... 197 00:08:24,713 --> 00:08:26,297 [suspenseful music] 198 00:08:26,464 --> 00:08:29,050 - [Brooke] In a deli market that's as saturated as New York 199 00:08:29,050 --> 00:08:31,594 City, selling a customer some mayonnaise that spoiled 200 00:08:31,594 --> 00:08:33,388 could be a disaster for him. 201 00:08:33,388 --> 00:08:35,640 One bad review could sink Hellmann. 202 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,559 - [Adam] So he needs to create a shelf-stable 203 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:40,311 mayonnaise, and fast. 204 00:08:40,311 --> 00:08:41,520 [suspenseful music] 205 00:08:45,984 --> 00:08:46,735 [pensive music] 206 00:08:47,944 --> 00:08:50,947 [lively band music] 207 00:08:53,950 --> 00:08:55,243 - [Narrator] In 1912, 208 00:08:55,243 --> 00:08:57,203 Richard Hellmann refuses to give up 209 00:08:57,203 --> 00:09:00,165 on selling his mayonnaise dressing to customers. 210 00:09:00,165 --> 00:09:03,168 - [Jason] Hellmann realizes pretty quickly, of he wants to 211 00:09:03,168 --> 00:09:04,294 succeed, he's gotta figure out a way 212 00:09:04,294 --> 00:09:06,296 to make his mayonnaise last longer. 213 00:09:06,296 --> 00:09:09,049 It's gonna have to be able to sit on shelves days, 214 00:09:09,049 --> 00:09:10,508 or even weeks. 215 00:09:10,508 --> 00:09:12,385 - [Narrator] But Hellmann is not the first person 216 00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:13,887 to face a similar problem. 217 00:09:13,887 --> 00:09:15,555 [suspenseful music] 218 00:09:15,555 --> 00:09:17,015 Six years earlier, 219 00:09:17,015 --> 00:09:19,601 Henry Heinz developed a ketchup recipe 220 00:09:19,601 --> 00:09:24,230 using only extra sugar, salt, and vinegar as preservatives, 221 00:09:24,230 --> 00:09:26,399 which allowed his glass bottled ketchup 222 00:09:26,399 --> 00:09:27,650 to dominate the market. 223 00:09:27,650 --> 00:09:30,070 [suspenseful music] 224 00:09:30,070 --> 00:09:32,197 - So, Hellmann realizes, 225 00:09:32,197 --> 00:09:34,365 "Hey, I can use a little bit of that vinegar, 226 00:09:34,365 --> 00:09:35,909 a little bit more of that salt, 227 00:09:35,909 --> 00:09:38,036 a little bit more of that sugar in my mayonnaise 228 00:09:38,036 --> 00:09:41,581 to add not only a tanginess that is kind of delicious, 229 00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:43,500 but will add a sort of preservative function." 230 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:46,628 - The whole reason that people love his mayonnaise 231 00:09:46,628 --> 00:09:48,129 is the taste. 232 00:09:48,254 --> 00:09:50,256 He spends a lot of time trying to figure out the ratio, 233 00:09:50,256 --> 00:09:52,884 so that it's not too sweet and not too vinegary. 234 00:09:52,884 --> 00:09:55,720 [pensive music] 235 00:09:58,431 --> 00:09:59,599 - [Hellmann] Tell me straight. 236 00:09:59,599 --> 00:10:02,852 [pensive music] 237 00:10:02,852 --> 00:10:04,771 - When did you make this? 238 00:10:04,771 --> 00:10:06,147 - A week ago. 239 00:10:06,147 --> 00:10:07,774 Tastes off? 240 00:10:07,774 --> 00:10:08,942 - It tastes... 241 00:10:08,942 --> 00:10:11,402 [suspenseful music] 242 00:10:11,402 --> 00:10:12,195 Amazing. 243 00:10:12,195 --> 00:10:13,947 [pensive music] 244 00:10:13,947 --> 00:10:16,157 - In essence, by using more egg yolks, 245 00:10:16,157 --> 00:10:17,659 more vinegar, more sugar, 246 00:10:17,659 --> 00:10:20,161 he's making a higher-quality product 247 00:10:20,161 --> 00:10:22,997 with a wonderful flavor that lasts longer. 248 00:10:22,997 --> 00:10:26,251 [suspenseful music] 249 00:10:26,251 --> 00:10:29,963 - [Narrator] But higher quality means a higher price. 250 00:10:29,963 --> 00:10:31,756 - So not wanting to alienate any of his customer 251 00:10:31,756 --> 00:10:33,675 that's already buying and using it quickly, 252 00:10:33,675 --> 00:10:36,427 he decides, "Why don't I sell both versions?" 253 00:10:36,427 --> 00:10:38,179 - [Adam] He's got his original recipe, 254 00:10:38,179 --> 00:10:40,431 which doesn't last quite as long, 255 00:10:40,431 --> 00:10:43,476 and he has this other one that is a bit more expensive, 256 00:10:43,476 --> 00:10:45,353 but has greater shelf stability. 257 00:10:45,353 --> 00:10:47,772 Now, if Hellmann is selling two kinds of mayonnaise, 258 00:10:47,772 --> 00:10:50,316 which are both white stuff in a jar, 259 00:10:50,316 --> 00:10:51,609 how does he distinguish 260 00:10:51,609 --> 00:10:54,154 between the sort of lower-quality mayonnaise 261 00:10:54,154 --> 00:10:55,989 and the more expensive version? 262 00:10:55,989 --> 00:10:58,867 [pensive music] 263 00:10:58,867 --> 00:11:00,493 He distinguishes it... 264 00:11:01,327 --> 00:11:02,829 With a blue ribbon. 265 00:11:02,829 --> 00:11:06,291 [pensive music] 266 00:11:06,291 --> 00:11:07,917 - [Rutledge] That little blue ribbon 267 00:11:07,917 --> 00:11:11,546 gave people this feeling of first prize at the county fair, 268 00:11:11,546 --> 00:11:14,757 and that one little thing is a symbol for his mayonnaise 269 00:11:14,757 --> 00:11:16,676 for more than 100 years. 270 00:11:16,676 --> 00:11:19,554 - People end up liking the new blue ribbon product 271 00:11:19,554 --> 00:11:21,055 even more than the original mayonnaise. 272 00:11:21,055 --> 00:11:22,682 So pretty soon, 273 00:11:22,682 --> 00:11:24,559 Hellmann just stops making the original mayonnaise product. 274 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:25,852 [suspenseful music] 275 00:11:25,852 --> 00:11:27,020 - [Narrator] After years struggling 276 00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:29,439 to make a name for himself with his deli, 277 00:11:29,439 --> 00:11:32,400 Hellmann sees a path for his future. 278 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,486 [compelling music] 279 00:11:35,486 --> 00:11:37,071 - [Adam] In May of 1914, 280 00:11:37,071 --> 00:11:40,408 he trademarks the name Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise. 281 00:11:40,408 --> 00:11:41,951 He sells the deli, 282 00:11:41,951 --> 00:11:45,622 opens a factory West 126th Street in Harlem 283 00:11:45,622 --> 00:11:49,167 to start manufacturing his mayonnaise in bulk. 284 00:11:49,167 --> 00:11:50,543 - [Narrator] By the 1920s, 285 00:11:50,543 --> 00:11:53,463 Hellmann's is available along the East Coast, 286 00:11:53,463 --> 00:11:57,050 in the Midwest, and even across the border in Toronto. 287 00:11:57,050 --> 00:11:58,801 [suspenseful music] 288 00:11:58,801 --> 00:12:00,261 - [Jason] For so many Americans, 289 00:12:00,386 --> 00:12:03,139 Hellmann's is their first exposure to mayonnaise. 290 00:12:03,139 --> 00:12:04,599 It's the first time they're tasting it, 291 00:12:04,599 --> 00:12:05,558 but they're trying to figure out, 292 00:12:05,558 --> 00:12:06,601 "Well, what do I do with this?" 293 00:12:06,601 --> 00:12:08,144 [suspenseful music] 294 00:12:08,144 --> 00:12:10,271 - [Narrator] Hellmann soon starts pushing his mayonnaise 295 00:12:10,271 --> 00:12:11,731 beyond salads. 296 00:12:11,731 --> 00:12:13,608 - [David] You can use this not only on chicken salad, 297 00:12:13,608 --> 00:12:15,568 but maybe you could use it on warm foods, 298 00:12:15,568 --> 00:12:18,279 use it in a sauce, put it in a chocolate cake, 299 00:12:18,279 --> 00:12:21,199 - [Jason] And then comes the piece de resistance. 300 00:12:21,199 --> 00:12:22,867 You can just spread it on your sandwich. 301 00:12:22,867 --> 00:12:23,910 [compelling music] 302 00:12:23,910 --> 00:12:26,120 - [Adam] And it only further serves 303 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,039 to increase Hellmann's popularity. 304 00:12:29,415 --> 00:12:33,127 But soon, there are many other mayonnaises on the market 305 00:12:33,127 --> 00:12:34,879 looking for a piece of the pie. 306 00:12:34,879 --> 00:12:36,381 [compelling music] 307 00:12:36,547 --> 00:12:39,509 - [David] You have Schlorer's in Pennsylvania and Philly, 308 00:12:39,509 --> 00:12:42,387 which is slightly more vinegary or tangy sauce. 309 00:12:42,387 --> 00:12:43,888 You have Duke's in the South, 310 00:12:43,888 --> 00:12:46,641 which was started by a woman in South Carolina. 311 00:12:48,017 --> 00:12:50,311 - [Narrator] While these brands remain quite regional, 312 00:12:50,311 --> 00:12:54,941 in 1926, a far more serious challenger emerges: 313 00:12:54,941 --> 00:12:57,068 Best Foods Mayonnaise. 314 00:12:57,068 --> 00:12:58,653 - [Erin] In the 1920s, 315 00:12:58,653 --> 00:13:00,697 Best Foods has been spreading throughout California, 316 00:13:00,697 --> 00:13:02,448 and it's become the dominant brand 317 00:13:02,448 --> 00:13:03,658 along the whole West Coast. 318 00:13:03,658 --> 00:13:05,243 [pensive music] 319 00:13:05,243 --> 00:13:06,327 - [Narrator] And it isn't the recipe 320 00:13:06,327 --> 00:13:08,246 that has Hellmann worried. 321 00:13:08,246 --> 00:13:10,123 It's the company behind it. 322 00:13:11,416 --> 00:13:14,836 - [David] Best Foods is backed by Post, the cereal maker, 323 00:13:14,836 --> 00:13:18,131 seller of grape nuts among other cereals. 324 00:13:18,131 --> 00:13:21,134 - By the 1920s, Postum has taken on a strategy 325 00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:24,304 of aggressively acquiring other food brands, 326 00:13:24,304 --> 00:13:26,597 like Maxwell House, like Jell-O, 327 00:13:26,597 --> 00:13:28,683 and now Best Foods Mayonnaise, 328 00:13:28,683 --> 00:13:30,977 which, with a distributor like Postum, 329 00:13:30,977 --> 00:13:33,813 is suddenly a serious threat to Hellmann's. 330 00:13:33,813 --> 00:13:35,523 - [Narrator] Hellmann has just sunk everything 331 00:13:35,523 --> 00:13:38,234 into a new factory in San Francisco, 332 00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:41,112 but Best Foods is now conquering the West 333 00:13:41,112 --> 00:13:43,281 before production even starts. 334 00:13:43,281 --> 00:13:44,282 [pensive music] 335 00:13:44,282 --> 00:13:45,533 - [Rutledge] Hellmann's realizes 336 00:13:45,658 --> 00:13:48,119 he doesn't have anywhere near the money 337 00:13:48,119 --> 00:13:50,038 and strength that Postum does. 338 00:13:50,038 --> 00:13:52,123 So, if he's gonna try to stay on top of the game, 339 00:13:52,123 --> 00:13:55,209 he's gonna have to do something really drastic. 340 00:13:55,209 --> 00:13:57,503 He knows he needs to cut a deal. 341 00:13:57,503 --> 00:13:59,422 - Mr. Hellmann, I'll be direct. 342 00:14:00,673 --> 00:14:03,509 Postum intends to own the mayonnaise market. 343 00:14:03,509 --> 00:14:06,387 [pensive music] 344 00:14:08,264 --> 00:14:10,433 - I'll sell. [container clattering] 345 00:14:10,433 --> 00:14:13,144 - [Rutledge] But he does have one condition. 346 00:14:13,144 --> 00:14:15,772 - You can change your other mayonnaise recipes, 347 00:14:15,772 --> 00:14:18,191 thin them, cheapen them, whatever you want to do, 348 00:14:18,191 --> 00:14:20,943 [pensive music] 349 00:14:22,028 --> 00:14:23,529 but not the one that bears my name. 350 00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:24,489 [compelling music] 351 00:14:24,489 --> 00:14:26,491 - [Narrator] In August of 1927, 352 00:14:26,491 --> 00:14:29,118 Richard Hellmann sells his brand to Postum 353 00:14:29,118 --> 00:14:31,162 for an undisclosed amount. 354 00:14:31,162 --> 00:14:33,081 - [Erin] Postum agrees that they're going to keep 355 00:14:33,081 --> 00:14:35,458 the Hellmann name, the Blue Ribbon branding, 356 00:14:35,458 --> 00:14:37,126 and most importantly, 357 00:14:37,126 --> 00:14:40,129 the recipe that Hellmann himself perfected. 358 00:14:40,129 --> 00:14:41,798 - [Narrator] But Postum also chooses 359 00:14:41,798 --> 00:14:44,258 to retain Best Foods' name, 360 00:14:44,258 --> 00:14:47,804 recognizing the brand loyalty built along the Pacific, 361 00:14:47,804 --> 00:14:51,057 - [David] The company will sell Best Foods west of the Rockies 362 00:14:51,057 --> 00:14:52,892 and Hellmann's east of the Rockies, 363 00:14:52,892 --> 00:14:56,187 and this is a split that prevails to this day. 364 00:14:56,187 --> 00:14:58,272 - [Rutledge] If you look at Best Foods' mayonnaise today, 365 00:14:58,272 --> 00:15:00,483 it's got the Hellmann's blue ribbon on it. 366 00:15:00,483 --> 00:15:03,027 And when you open them up side by side and taste them, 367 00:15:03,027 --> 00:15:04,028 guess what? 368 00:15:04,028 --> 00:15:05,113 It's the same. 369 00:15:05,113 --> 00:15:06,614 [compelling music] 370 00:15:06,614 --> 00:15:08,574 - [Narrator] Today, under the global giant Unilever, 371 00:15:08,574 --> 00:15:10,993 Hellmann's and Best control over half 372 00:15:10,993 --> 00:15:14,122 of the entire American mayonnaise market. 373 00:15:14,122 --> 00:15:18,709 Together, they rake in more than $3.5 billion a year. 374 00:15:18,709 --> 00:15:19,877 [compelling music] 375 00:15:19,877 --> 00:15:20,962 - [Erin] Hellmann takes his fortune, 376 00:15:20,962 --> 00:15:23,172 and he finally gets the rest 377 00:15:23,172 --> 00:15:25,550 that a doctor ordered 20 years ago. 378 00:15:25,550 --> 00:15:29,178 He retires a philanthropist and dies at the age of 94. 379 00:15:29,178 --> 00:15:31,556 - [Jason] Look, you cannot overstate 380 00:15:31,556 --> 00:15:35,226 how significant the success of Hellmann's mayonnaise is. 381 00:15:35,226 --> 00:15:38,396 This brand is in your fridge, it's in your parents' fridge, 382 00:15:38,396 --> 00:15:39,730 it's in your grandparents' fridge. 383 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:42,984 Hellmann's didn't just win the category. 384 00:15:42,984 --> 00:15:44,402 Like, it created it. 385 00:15:44,402 --> 00:15:45,945 There are very few food brands 386 00:15:45,945 --> 00:15:49,323 that ever achieve that level of cultural saturation. 387 00:15:49,323 --> 00:15:50,491 [compelling music] 388 00:15:50,491 --> 00:15:52,243 - [Narrator] Over the next two decades, 389 00:15:52,243 --> 00:15:55,746 as mayonnaise settles in as an all-purpose condiment, 390 00:15:55,746 --> 00:15:59,333 salad consumption in America more than triples. 391 00:15:59,333 --> 00:16:01,377 Yet even by the late 1940s, 392 00:16:01,377 --> 00:16:04,255 dedicated dressing options beyond mayonnaise 393 00:16:04,255 --> 00:16:06,966 remain practically non-existent. 394 00:16:06,966 --> 00:16:08,926 - [Kate] Most Americans, after World War II, 395 00:16:08,926 --> 00:16:11,929 are eating salad very, very simply, 396 00:16:11,929 --> 00:16:15,057 where they're maybe throwing some mayonnaise on there, 397 00:16:15,057 --> 00:16:18,019 maybe a little bit of oil and vinegar, 398 00:16:18,019 --> 00:16:19,312 or Russian dressing, 399 00:16:19,312 --> 00:16:21,939 which is literally just mayo and ketchup. 400 00:16:21,939 --> 00:16:24,483 - Today, nearly 270 million Americans 401 00:16:24,483 --> 00:16:26,611 use bottled salad dressing. 402 00:16:26,611 --> 00:16:28,154 But back in the day, 403 00:16:28,154 --> 00:16:30,114 for those who want a more creative salad dressing, 404 00:16:30,114 --> 00:16:32,033 they really have to rely on restaurants. 405 00:16:32,033 --> 00:16:34,660 [compelling music] 406 00:16:34,660 --> 00:16:35,953 - [Narrator] In 1948, 407 00:16:35,953 --> 00:16:38,414 an Italian American named Phillip Sollomi 408 00:16:38,414 --> 00:16:42,043 is sinking all his savings into a restaurant. 409 00:16:42,043 --> 00:16:42,960 - Maybe less salt. 410 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:44,629 [pensive music] 411 00:16:44,629 --> 00:16:46,631 - [Rutledge] Phillip Sollomi was in veterinarian school. 412 00:16:46,631 --> 00:16:49,050 To make money, he started working at a restaurant 413 00:16:49,050 --> 00:16:51,010 called the Brooklyn Spaghetti House. 414 00:16:51,010 --> 00:16:53,846 But, then he got drafted to serve in World War II. 415 00:16:53,846 --> 00:16:55,139 - [Narrator] After serving in the war, 416 00:16:55,139 --> 00:16:57,558 he returns with a new focus. 417 00:16:57,558 --> 00:17:00,770 - [Rutledge] He realizes he actually likes working more with 418 00:17:00,770 --> 00:17:01,771 people than he does with animals, 419 00:17:01,771 --> 00:17:03,147 and he starts dreaming 420 00:17:03,147 --> 00:17:04,482 about owning his own restaurant one day. 421 00:17:04,482 --> 00:17:05,983 [pensive music] 422 00:17:05,983 --> 00:17:08,486 - [Adam] While driving around Kansas City, 1948, 423 00:17:08,486 --> 00:17:10,570 he sees a beautiful Victorian home. 424 00:17:10,570 --> 00:17:14,242 He decides he's going to turn that residence 425 00:17:14,242 --> 00:17:15,284 into a restaurant. 426 00:17:16,285 --> 00:17:17,744 - [Narrator] Sollomi is not a cook, 427 00:17:17,744 --> 00:17:21,207 so he brings on his mother, Lena, as his chef. 428 00:17:21,207 --> 00:17:22,791 - Now, that's something people will come back for. 429 00:17:22,791 --> 00:17:24,126 [Lena chuckling] 430 00:17:24,126 --> 00:17:25,252 - [Narrator] And he doesn't know it yet, 431 00:17:25,252 --> 00:17:27,380 but the restaurant name he chooses 432 00:17:27,380 --> 00:17:29,966 will soon become a household name. 433 00:17:29,966 --> 00:17:32,843 - [Jason] So, Sollomi decides to make fried chicken 434 00:17:32,843 --> 00:17:35,221 the star dish of his new restaurant. 435 00:17:35,221 --> 00:17:37,056 And to get people really in for it, 436 00:17:37,056 --> 00:17:38,891 he's gonna make sure you know 437 00:17:38,891 --> 00:17:41,435 that fried chicken is what it's all about. 438 00:17:41,435 --> 00:17:43,437 - [Phillip] With chicken this good... 439 00:17:43,437 --> 00:17:45,273 - [Jason] He calls this place. 440 00:17:45,273 --> 00:17:46,274 - How about... 441 00:17:46,274 --> 00:17:47,733 [suspenseful music] 442 00:17:47,733 --> 00:17:48,568 Wish-Bone? 443 00:17:48,568 --> 00:17:50,152 [rock music] 444 00:17:50,152 --> 00:17:52,488 - [Narrator] But Sollomi's legacy won't be a restaurant. 445 00:17:52,488 --> 00:17:55,157 It will be a dressing that sits in millions of homes 446 00:17:55,157 --> 00:17:56,492 across America, 447 00:17:56,492 --> 00:17:59,370 becoming the most popular in the country, 448 00:17:59,370 --> 00:18:01,414 one that will spawn an iconic brand 449 00:18:01,414 --> 00:18:03,416 with now dozens of varieties, 450 00:18:03,416 --> 00:18:05,876 selling over 50 million bottles a month 451 00:18:05,876 --> 00:18:09,255 and generating nearly $1/4 billion a year, 452 00:18:10,548 --> 00:18:13,009 helping launch an all new condiment category 453 00:18:13,009 --> 00:18:15,803 that's now an institution in supermarkets 454 00:18:15,803 --> 00:18:17,179 across the country. 455 00:18:17,179 --> 00:18:18,222 [compelling music] 456 00:18:23,436 --> 00:18:27,440 - [Narrator] In 1948, Phillip Sollomi launches his dream 457 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:28,774 restaurant, the Wish-Bone, 458 00:18:28,774 --> 00:18:31,485 proudly advertising its fried chicken dinners 459 00:18:31,485 --> 00:18:32,528 right on the sign. 460 00:18:33,738 --> 00:18:37,033 And the immediate response is dismal. 461 00:18:37,033 --> 00:18:39,118 [pensive music] 462 00:18:39,118 --> 00:18:40,578 - It's kind of wild if you think about it. 463 00:18:40,578 --> 00:18:42,955 This Italian guy, born in Ohio, 464 00:18:42,955 --> 00:18:44,415 comes down to the south 465 00:18:44,540 --> 00:18:47,918 to open a fried chicken restaurant in Kansas City 466 00:18:47,918 --> 00:18:50,838 with all these other fried chicken and barbecue places. 467 00:18:50,838 --> 00:18:52,214 - At the start, he realizes, 468 00:18:52,214 --> 00:18:54,842 "It's really expensive to run a restaurant," 469 00:18:54,842 --> 00:18:58,387 and he is barely making enough to even cover his expenses. 470 00:18:58,387 --> 00:19:00,264 - [Narrator] Desperate to save the business, 471 00:19:00,264 --> 00:19:04,226 Sollomi looks for a low-cost way to bring more people in. 472 00:19:04,226 --> 00:19:06,604 - He decides he's gonna offer a free house salad 473 00:19:06,604 --> 00:19:07,980 with every meal. 474 00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:10,024 He remembers this really delicious salad dressing 475 00:19:10,024 --> 00:19:11,484 that his mom used to make at home, 476 00:19:11,609 --> 00:19:14,028 and he asks her to whip some up for his restaurant. 477 00:19:15,071 --> 00:19:17,948 - [Adam] Lena Sollomi's family is from Sicily, 478 00:19:17,948 --> 00:19:21,327 where a lot of the food tends to be a little bit more zesty 479 00:19:21,327 --> 00:19:23,704 and spicy than in other parts of Italy, 480 00:19:23,704 --> 00:19:27,917 and she's brought her salad dressing recipe with her. 481 00:19:27,917 --> 00:19:29,460 - It's something she's just kind of made 482 00:19:29,460 --> 00:19:30,795 for years, and years, and years. 483 00:19:30,795 --> 00:19:32,880 It's not something she's written down 484 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,548 or followed from a cookbook. 485 00:19:34,548 --> 00:19:36,133 [suspenseful music] 486 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:39,929 - [Adam] It's usually olive oil, white or balsamic vinegar, 487 00:19:39,929 --> 00:19:42,431 oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, 488 00:19:42,431 --> 00:19:44,684 and then the kind of clever additions 489 00:19:44,684 --> 00:19:47,853 of things like capers and mustard. 490 00:19:47,853 --> 00:19:49,689 - What do you call it? 491 00:19:49,689 --> 00:19:50,523 - It's just... 492 00:19:50,523 --> 00:19:51,857 [suspenseful music] 493 00:19:51,857 --> 00:19:53,025 Italian-style. 494 00:19:54,318 --> 00:19:57,905 So at the time, Italian dressing, it isn't even a thing. 495 00:19:57,905 --> 00:20:00,700 No one's ever heard of it because it doesn't exist, 496 00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:02,451 which is crazy when you think. 497 00:20:02,451 --> 00:20:04,036 [suspenseful music] 498 00:20:04,036 --> 00:20:05,579 - [Narrator] Sollomi rolls the dice, 499 00:20:05,579 --> 00:20:09,792 debuting a complementary house salad with every meal. 500 00:20:09,792 --> 00:20:11,585 Topped with his mother's signature blend 501 00:20:11,585 --> 00:20:13,963 that he just calls Wish-Bone Dressing. 502 00:20:13,963 --> 00:20:16,841 [compelling music] 503 00:20:16,841 --> 00:20:18,092 - [Adam] People love it. 504 00:20:18,092 --> 00:20:20,678 It's more zesty than the traditional 505 00:20:20,678 --> 00:20:22,680 sort of oil-and-vinegar dressings 506 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,640 that they've come across. 507 00:20:25,099 --> 00:20:27,601 - [Kate] The customers were enjoying the salad, 508 00:20:27,601 --> 00:20:31,564 start asking to take the dressing home themselves. 509 00:20:31,564 --> 00:20:33,691 - [Narrator] Sollomi starts filling small mason jars 510 00:20:33,691 --> 00:20:35,234 with extra dressing, 511 00:20:35,234 --> 00:20:37,486 offering them for sale to his customers. 512 00:20:38,571 --> 00:20:39,947 - [Adam] Over the next couple weeks, 513 00:20:39,947 --> 00:20:41,490 the business really starts to pick up, 514 00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:46,412 with people coming in almost exclusively for the dressing. 515 00:20:47,455 --> 00:20:49,290 - [Kate] Sollomi starts thinking, "Okay, 516 00:20:49,290 --> 00:20:52,376 maybe this salad dressing could be a bigger enterprise." 517 00:20:52,376 --> 00:20:54,962 - [Brooke] But it's one thing to make a dressing at your 518 00:20:54,962 --> 00:20:56,255 restaurant and quite another 519 00:20:56,255 --> 00:20:58,424 to make one that you can sell in a grocery store. 520 00:20:58,424 --> 00:20:59,884 He's just starting to break even 521 00:20:59,884 --> 00:21:01,510 and, by no means, has the money 522 00:21:01,510 --> 00:21:03,637 to start another side business. 523 00:21:04,764 --> 00:21:07,349 - [Narrator] Meanwhile, 3,000 miles away, 524 00:21:07,349 --> 00:21:10,186 one man is trying to feed a hungry work crew 525 00:21:10,186 --> 00:21:12,354 in the Alaskan wilderness. 526 00:21:12,354 --> 00:21:17,401 - Steve Henson is this big, muscular cowboy from Nebraska. 527 00:21:18,194 --> 00:21:19,987 He's survived the Depression, 528 00:21:19,987 --> 00:21:22,698 hopped trains west at the age of 16 529 00:21:22,698 --> 00:21:24,200 in the search of a better fortune, 530 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,077 eventually finds his way in Alaska, 531 00:21:27,077 --> 00:21:29,830 getting work as a plumbing contractor. 532 00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:31,957 And these were not just like, 533 00:21:31,957 --> 00:21:33,250 "I gotta fix someone's toilet." 534 00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:36,337 These were major military contracts. 535 00:21:36,337 --> 00:21:39,548 Very lucrative, but very hard work. 536 00:21:39,548 --> 00:21:40,883 - [Kate] Henson ends up cooking 537 00:21:40,883 --> 00:21:42,885 for the guys that he works with a lot, 538 00:21:42,885 --> 00:21:46,305 and he realizes pretty quickly that when you're in Alaska, 539 00:21:46,305 --> 00:21:48,724 a lot of the food you're getting has been frozen 540 00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:51,227 or it's coming from a place that's super far away. 541 00:21:51,227 --> 00:21:54,980 And by the time it gets to you, it's not in its top quality. 542 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:56,106 - Steaks are burning. 543 00:21:56,106 --> 00:21:57,691 [compelling music] 544 00:21:57,691 --> 00:22:00,569 - Fresh produce would go bad quickly, meat would be tough. 545 00:22:00,569 --> 00:22:03,197 You had to cook it, maybe cook it too much. 546 00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:05,741 - [Adam] And Henson always sort of fancied himself 547 00:22:05,741 --> 00:22:08,661 a little bit of campfire cook, 548 00:22:08,661 --> 00:22:13,707 and he started making a sauce to serve on steak 549 00:22:13,707 --> 00:22:15,709 for his work crews. 550 00:22:15,709 --> 00:22:17,753 - [Narrator] But with limited ingredients, 551 00:22:17,753 --> 00:22:19,630 Henson works with what he's got. 552 00:22:20,589 --> 00:22:22,091 - [Jason] He's got salt and pepper. 553 00:22:22,091 --> 00:22:25,010 He's got dried herbs like parsley, onion, and garlic. 554 00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:28,389 He's got mayo, and he's got a little bit of buttermilk. 555 00:22:28,389 --> 00:22:32,059 - Alaskans were kind of known for their love of buttermilk. 556 00:22:32,059 --> 00:22:33,853 It's normally delivered frozen, 557 00:22:33,853 --> 00:22:36,063 especially in the wintertime. 558 00:22:36,063 --> 00:22:38,023 - [Jason] And he kind of mixes that all together. 559 00:22:38,023 --> 00:22:39,483 He's just kind of winging it, right, 560 00:22:39,483 --> 00:22:41,068 and he just keeps tweaking it 561 00:22:41,068 --> 00:22:42,486 until he gets something that he thinks is gonna be like, 562 00:22:42,486 --> 00:22:45,322 "Oh, that's a tasty, creamy sauce." 563 00:22:45,322 --> 00:22:46,699 - [Narrator] Henson doesn't know it, 564 00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:48,200 but he's just created 565 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,871 the number one dressing flavor in America today. 566 00:22:51,871 --> 00:22:53,664 It will give rise to a brand 567 00:22:53,664 --> 00:22:57,042 that rakes in nearly $500 million a year, 568 00:22:57,042 --> 00:23:01,672 used by more than 72 million Americans every single month. 569 00:23:01,672 --> 00:23:05,092 The distinctive flavor will break out beyond salads, 570 00:23:05,092 --> 00:23:08,470 becoming an everything sauce and seasoning, 571 00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:13,142 powering a $1.2 billion industry all on its own. 572 00:23:13,142 --> 00:23:14,351 - [Jason] He wasn't sitting down 573 00:23:14,351 --> 00:23:16,562 to try to create the next big thing. 574 00:23:16,562 --> 00:23:18,772 - Sauce of the steak is good, Steve. 575 00:23:18,772 --> 00:23:20,566 - [Jason] He didn't have these global ambitions 576 00:23:20,566 --> 00:23:22,568 of building an empire of dressing. 577 00:23:22,568 --> 00:23:25,070 He was just trying to make his food a little tastier. 578 00:23:25,070 --> 00:23:25,946 That was it. 579 00:23:25,946 --> 00:23:27,281 - [Colleague] What is it? 580 00:23:27,281 --> 00:23:28,657 - I don't know. 581 00:23:28,657 --> 00:23:31,243 - [Jason] Heck, he hasn't even given it a name. 582 00:23:31,243 --> 00:23:32,202 - Buttermilk sauce? 583 00:23:32,202 --> 00:23:34,163 [compelling music] 584 00:23:39,543 --> 00:23:41,003 - [Narrator] It is been three years 585 00:23:41,003 --> 00:23:42,880 since Sollomi opened his restaurant, The Wish-Bone, 586 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,632 and he's taken the small leap 587 00:23:44,632 --> 00:23:48,260 of offering his Italian-style dressing around town. 588 00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:51,972 - [Adam] He starts filling whiskey bottles full of the 589 00:23:51,972 --> 00:23:54,266 dressing and selling them outside the restaurant 590 00:23:54,266 --> 00:23:56,560 at other stores in Kansas City. 591 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,854 He's been using 50-gallon drums, 592 00:23:58,854 --> 00:24:03,609 pouring in huge bags of oil, and vinegar, and spices. 593 00:24:03,609 --> 00:24:05,361 - [Austin] People are buying his dressing 594 00:24:05,361 --> 00:24:07,738 and telling him how much they love 595 00:24:07,738 --> 00:24:09,782 using his product at home. 596 00:24:09,782 --> 00:24:12,952 And he realizes it's completely different 597 00:24:12,952 --> 00:24:15,037 than anything out there on the market. 598 00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:16,622 - [Narrator] By the early '50s, 599 00:24:16,622 --> 00:24:18,248 only one national brand 600 00:24:18,248 --> 00:24:20,793 has tried to make bottled salad dressing 601 00:24:20,793 --> 00:24:22,378 a supermarket category. 602 00:24:23,253 --> 00:24:24,964 Kraft. 603 00:24:24,964 --> 00:24:28,550 - In 1933, Kraft had a brilliant idea, 604 00:24:28,550 --> 00:24:30,970 which is to come up with a product that's like mayonnaise, 605 00:24:30,970 --> 00:24:32,930 but doesn't use eggs. 606 00:24:32,930 --> 00:24:35,516 The result is Miracle Whip. 607 00:24:35,516 --> 00:24:38,852 - [Narrator] Kraft sells Miracle Whip as a salad dressing 608 00:24:38,852 --> 00:24:42,189 and then adds one additional style to their lineup. 609 00:24:42,189 --> 00:24:44,483 - Kraft also released a bottled French dressing 610 00:24:44,483 --> 00:24:45,776 in the 1930s, 611 00:24:45,776 --> 00:24:47,778 which was basically just a simple vinegarette 612 00:24:47,778 --> 00:24:49,613 with a little paprika for color. 613 00:24:49,613 --> 00:24:52,032 By the 1950s, they crank it up just a little bit 614 00:24:52,032 --> 00:24:55,119 by introducing a sweeter version and a creamier version. 615 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:56,662 But really, that's it. 616 00:24:56,662 --> 00:24:57,997 [pensive music] 617 00:24:57,997 --> 00:24:59,456 - [Narrator] But now, as Americans dine out 618 00:24:59,456 --> 00:25:02,001 three times more than before the war, 619 00:25:02,001 --> 00:25:05,212 they taste dressings they can't find in stores. 620 00:25:06,171 --> 00:25:07,256 - [Chirag] So, it's definitely an opportunity for 621 00:25:07,256 --> 00:25:08,757 someone to bring new flavors 622 00:25:08,757 --> 00:25:10,676 of restaurant-quality salad dressing 623 00:25:10,676 --> 00:25:12,094 to supermarket shelves. 624 00:25:13,679 --> 00:25:15,347 - [Brooke] Sollomi now dreams of expanding 625 00:25:15,347 --> 00:25:16,640 beyond the local market, 626 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,600 but that requires scaling up, 627 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,311 and that's something that's extremely costly. 628 00:25:21,311 --> 00:25:22,855 - Sollomi needs money, 629 00:25:22,855 --> 00:25:25,315 and it's tricky 'cause he only really knows one way 630 00:25:25,315 --> 00:25:27,860 to get an influx of cash. 631 00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:29,445 - [Kate] So, he sells his restaurants 632 00:25:29,445 --> 00:25:31,905 and decides to put all of his energy 633 00:25:31,905 --> 00:25:34,074 into the Italian dressing. 634 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,036 - [Chirag] The restaurant is a proven success. 635 00:25:37,036 --> 00:25:39,455 And now, to liquidate that in all his life savings 636 00:25:39,455 --> 00:25:41,790 to go into only selling salad dressing, 637 00:25:41,790 --> 00:25:43,917 I mean, this is a terrifying gamble. 638 00:25:45,377 --> 00:25:48,589 - This is what Kraft uses for their French dressing. 639 00:25:48,589 --> 00:25:49,715 Better control for pouring. 640 00:25:49,715 --> 00:25:51,341 [pensive music] 641 00:25:51,341 --> 00:25:53,677 - It's one thing for Sollomi to sell a jar of his dressing 642 00:25:53,677 --> 00:25:56,597 to customers who've just enjoyed it in his restaurant. 643 00:25:56,597 --> 00:25:58,098 But his new challenge 644 00:25:58,098 --> 00:26:00,893 is to sell it to people who have never tasted it 645 00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:03,395 or even heard of Italian dressing, 646 00:26:03,395 --> 00:26:04,563 and so this is gonna mean 647 00:26:04,563 --> 00:26:06,815 that branding plays a really big role. 648 00:26:07,775 --> 00:26:08,859 - They all look the same. 649 00:26:08,859 --> 00:26:10,652 [pensive music] 650 00:26:10,652 --> 00:26:12,154 - [Jason] You go to a grocery store today, 651 00:26:12,154 --> 00:26:14,573 and there are all kinds of shapes of containers, 652 00:26:14,573 --> 00:26:16,116 bottles, jars. 653 00:26:16,116 --> 00:26:18,494 But back then, you had standard shapes. 654 00:26:18,494 --> 00:26:19,661 You did have a few standouts. 655 00:26:19,661 --> 00:26:21,747 You had like the Heinz ketchup bottle, 656 00:26:21,747 --> 00:26:24,416 the trademark Coca-Cola soda bottle, 657 00:26:24,416 --> 00:26:27,461 but there was no iconic salad dressing bottle. 658 00:26:27,461 --> 00:26:29,171 - [Brooke] He wants something that's both practical, 659 00:26:29,171 --> 00:26:31,924 that's easy to pour, shake, and mix. 660 00:26:31,924 --> 00:26:33,926 - [Phillip] What if we... 661 00:26:35,385 --> 00:26:37,721 - [Brooke] But he also wants something that will make people 662 00:26:37,721 --> 00:26:40,265 stop and wonder what his product is. 663 00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:43,811 - He designed this glass bottle that is very... 664 00:26:43,811 --> 00:26:48,107 A very striking packaging compared to their competitors. 665 00:26:48,107 --> 00:26:49,900 - [Kate] It has this longer neck 666 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:53,195 that allows for a more controlled pour. 667 00:26:53,195 --> 00:26:55,781 - I'll have a glass maker draw something up. 668 00:26:55,781 --> 00:26:57,533 - [Rutledge] The bottle is shaped 669 00:26:57,533 --> 00:27:00,077 like a Wish-Bone from a chicken, 670 00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:04,164 which is wild because we don't associate 671 00:27:04,164 --> 00:27:07,292 a salad dressing with chicken. 672 00:27:07,292 --> 00:27:09,670 But now, we have that bottle shape all because of the name. 673 00:27:09,670 --> 00:27:11,338 [suspenseful music] 674 00:27:11,338 --> 00:27:13,090 - [Narrator] In late 1952, 675 00:27:13,090 --> 00:27:16,677 Sollomi releases Wish-Bone Italian-Style Dressing 676 00:27:16,677 --> 00:27:20,889 in cities across the Midwest at 39 cents a bottle. 677 00:27:22,140 --> 00:27:24,059 - [Jason] Sollomi is investing all of his profits 678 00:27:24,059 --> 00:27:25,727 to sort of ramp up production, 679 00:27:25,727 --> 00:27:29,064 so he can grow beyond just his small regional distribution 680 00:27:29,064 --> 00:27:30,732 that he's currently got. 681 00:27:30,732 --> 00:27:32,359 - [Adam] I don't think people really understand how hard it is 682 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,737 to recreate a recipe that came from your home kitchen 683 00:27:35,737 --> 00:27:37,656 into something mass-produced. 684 00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:40,033 It's the sort of hard work and the ingenuity 685 00:27:40,033 --> 00:27:42,870 that goes into many of the brands that have made America. 686 00:27:44,371 --> 00:27:46,456 - [Narrator] But just as he prepares his national push, 687 00:27:46,456 --> 00:27:49,543 competition strikes back. 688 00:27:49,543 --> 00:27:52,838 - [Jason] So, just like that, Sollomi gets a gut punch. 689 00:27:52,838 --> 00:27:54,798 Kraft releases their own version 690 00:27:54,798 --> 00:27:58,385 of Italian-style dressing at 29 cents a bottle. 691 00:27:58,385 --> 00:28:01,430 - [Natalia] Of course, Kraft has access to these economies of 692 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:02,848 scale that he just doesn't. 693 00:28:02,848 --> 00:28:05,183 Nobody's gonna buy Wish-Bone for 39 cents 694 00:28:05,183 --> 00:28:07,185 when they can get effectively the same thing 695 00:28:07,185 --> 00:28:08,770 10 cents cheaper. 696 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:10,272 - [Chirag] I mean, it must have been a slap in the 697 00:28:10,272 --> 00:28:11,815 face for Sollomi. 698 00:28:11,815 --> 00:28:13,066 He's the one who introduced America to Italian dressing. 699 00:28:13,066 --> 00:28:14,151 He created it. 700 00:28:14,151 --> 00:28:17,237 [suspenseful music] 701 00:28:17,237 --> 00:28:19,364 - [Narrator] Meanwhile, by the late '50s, 702 00:28:19,364 --> 00:28:22,284 after years of backbreaking labor in Alaska, 703 00:28:22,284 --> 00:28:25,287 Steve Henson has made his way south. 704 00:28:25,287 --> 00:28:27,289 - [Adam] He and his lovely wife, Gail, 705 00:28:27,289 --> 00:28:30,876 decided to buy a 120-acre property 706 00:28:30,876 --> 00:28:34,046 in the area surrounding Santa Barbara, California. 707 00:28:34,046 --> 00:28:36,256 And they opened it as a dude ranch. 708 00:28:36,256 --> 00:28:37,883 [country music] 709 00:28:37,883 --> 00:28:40,969 - A dude ranch is a place where people can go vacation 710 00:28:40,969 --> 00:28:43,555 and live the cowboy life for a couple days 711 00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:46,433 without really having to get their hands dirty. 712 00:28:46,433 --> 00:28:47,976 - [Chirag] They're really charming, but dude ranches, 713 00:28:47,976 --> 00:28:50,938 they're a risky financial endeavor 'cause they often fail. 714 00:28:50,938 --> 00:28:53,440 They require a ton of land, they're seasonal, 715 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,651 and the cost to operate them are so high. 716 00:28:55,651 --> 00:28:59,988 - [Austin] Plus, there's a lot fewer people taking these local 717 00:28:59,988 --> 00:29:03,325 trips to so-called dude ranches when you've got air travel. 718 00:29:03,325 --> 00:29:06,036 You can now go to far more distant, 719 00:29:06,036 --> 00:29:08,205 far more exotic locales. 720 00:29:08,789 --> 00:29:10,624 - [Adam] Within roughly a year, 721 00:29:10,624 --> 00:29:13,377 Steve's business model really wasn't working. 722 00:29:13,377 --> 00:29:16,213 - Henson is blowing through all the money he made in Alaska, 723 00:29:16,213 --> 00:29:19,007 and he's wondering if he made a huge mistake. 724 00:29:19,007 --> 00:29:21,551 - [Jason] Henson, he grew up in the Depression. 725 00:29:21,551 --> 00:29:23,845 He's worked hard labor in Alaska. 726 00:29:23,845 --> 00:29:26,306 He's not the type to give up easily. 727 00:29:26,306 --> 00:29:29,017 So, he really starts looking at everything he can do 728 00:29:29,017 --> 00:29:31,478 to make sure his guests are gonna want to come back, 729 00:29:31,478 --> 00:29:33,855 whether it's the activities that he's offering 730 00:29:33,855 --> 00:29:35,399 or the food he's serving. 731 00:29:39,319 --> 00:29:41,697 - Is something wrong with the salad dressing? 732 00:29:41,697 --> 00:29:43,115 - No, no. 733 00:29:43,115 --> 00:29:44,992 Just thought your buttermilk sauce was better. 734 00:29:44,992 --> 00:29:46,576 - [Narrator] Since opening the dude ranch, 735 00:29:46,576 --> 00:29:49,871 Henson serves the sauce he invented in Alaska 736 00:29:49,871 --> 00:29:51,289 with every meal. 737 00:29:51,289 --> 00:29:53,125 - [Erin] At the ranch, it's going on everything. 738 00:29:53,125 --> 00:29:56,003 It's going on chicken, it's going on vegetables, steaks, 739 00:29:56,003 --> 00:29:57,587 and people really like it. 740 00:29:57,587 --> 00:29:59,506 - [Chirag] I mean, people even start putting it on salad, 741 00:29:59,506 --> 00:30:01,508 but I can't imagine Henson ever imagined 742 00:30:01,508 --> 00:30:04,094 that it would be the sauce that would save his business. 743 00:30:04,094 --> 00:30:06,513 - [Jason] You know what the name of this dude ranch is? 744 00:30:06,513 --> 00:30:08,515 - She said she'd come back to Hidden Valley Ranch 745 00:30:08,515 --> 00:30:09,349 just for more of that. 746 00:30:09,349 --> 00:30:10,350 [compelling music] 747 00:30:10,350 --> 00:30:11,977 - [Jason] Hidden Valley Ranch. 748 00:30:11,977 --> 00:30:15,063 [compelling music] 749 00:30:20,068 --> 00:30:22,320 - [Narrator] After selling his Wish-Bone restaurant 750 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,823 to go all in on salad dressing, 751 00:30:24,823 --> 00:30:26,825 Sollomi is struggling to compete 752 00:30:26,825 --> 00:30:29,661 against Kraft's Italian-style option. 753 00:30:29,661 --> 00:30:31,705 - Customers are walking into the grocery store, 754 00:30:31,705 --> 00:30:34,708 and there's one brand that they recognize that's cheaper 755 00:30:34,708 --> 00:30:36,334 and one brand that they don't recognize 756 00:30:36,334 --> 00:30:38,086 that's more expensive. 757 00:30:38,086 --> 00:30:40,756 - [Narrator] But Sollomi trusts his recipe, 758 00:30:40,756 --> 00:30:42,758 so he makes a bold move. 759 00:30:42,758 --> 00:30:44,176 [pensive music] 760 00:30:44,176 --> 00:30:46,970 - Sollomi decides to promote Wish-Bone Dressing 761 00:30:46,970 --> 00:30:51,600 by selling it for one penny a bottle. 762 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,518 - [Kate] Sollomi's limited period of time 763 00:30:53,518 --> 00:30:55,145 penny promotion is a huge risk 764 00:30:55,145 --> 00:30:56,897 because he's losing money 765 00:30:56,897 --> 00:31:00,067 on every single salad dressing that he sells. 766 00:31:00,067 --> 00:31:01,943 It's actually the more dressing he sells, 767 00:31:01,943 --> 00:31:03,653 the more money he loses. 768 00:31:03,653 --> 00:31:07,032 - [Adam] But he's willing to take such a big hit financially 769 00:31:07,032 --> 00:31:09,242 on every single bottle sold 770 00:31:09,242 --> 00:31:12,370 because he knows that with one taste of his dressing, 771 00:31:12,370 --> 00:31:14,122 he's gonna get people hooked 772 00:31:14,122 --> 00:31:15,749 and that they're gonna realize 773 00:31:15,749 --> 00:31:17,751 that they have a better product on their hands. 774 00:31:17,751 --> 00:31:19,252 - [Kate] This works. 775 00:31:19,419 --> 00:31:21,963 Like, people know about Wish-Bone Italian salad dressing 776 00:31:21,963 --> 00:31:24,883 because of this huge advertising campaign. 777 00:31:24,883 --> 00:31:26,384 - [Narrator] By 1957, 778 00:31:26,384 --> 00:31:29,930 Wish-Bone Italian Dressing is available nationwide, 779 00:31:29,930 --> 00:31:34,434 and the company is bringing in nearly $10 million in sales. 780 00:31:34,434 --> 00:31:35,769 - So, at this point, 781 00:31:35,769 --> 00:31:37,646 you'd think a guy like Sollomi would be content. 782 00:31:37,646 --> 00:31:39,648 I mean, just a couple years before this, 783 00:31:39,648 --> 00:31:41,149 he was just running a restaurant. 784 00:31:41,149 --> 00:31:43,693 But he continues to put all of his profits 785 00:31:43,693 --> 00:31:45,320 back into his business. 786 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,280 - Sollomi expands beyond Italian. 787 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,282 He starts actually making flavors, 788 00:31:49,282 --> 00:31:53,036 just like Kraft is making, like French and Russian dressing. 789 00:31:53,036 --> 00:31:54,412 There's just one problem. 790 00:31:54,412 --> 00:31:56,832 [suspenseful music] 791 00:31:56,832 --> 00:31:58,625 - Our French is not catching on. 792 00:31:58,625 --> 00:31:59,584 - And the Russian? 793 00:31:59,584 --> 00:32:00,961 [pensive music] 794 00:32:00,961 --> 00:32:02,629 - These new flavors are struggling 795 00:32:02,629 --> 00:32:03,755 to really break through. 796 00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:05,257 [pensive music] 797 00:32:05,257 --> 00:32:07,592 - Are our Italians selling stronger than ever, though? 798 00:32:07,592 --> 00:32:10,720 - And while Wish-Bone is really fighting to be the name 799 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,640 that America associates with Italian dressing, 800 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,560 they just don't have deep-enough pockets 801 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:18,895 to front this battle. 802 00:32:18,895 --> 00:32:21,148 They might not survive much longer. 803 00:32:21,148 --> 00:32:24,192 [suspenseful music] 804 00:32:27,404 --> 00:32:30,031 - [Narrator] Meanwhile, Henson's buttermilk sauce 805 00:32:30,031 --> 00:32:32,409 continues to gain fans. 806 00:32:32,409 --> 00:32:36,746 - [Rutledge] So people really start raving about Henson's 807 00:32:36,746 --> 00:32:39,207 sauce and since it came from his ranch, 808 00:32:39,207 --> 00:32:42,043 they start calling it ranch dressing. 809 00:32:42,043 --> 00:32:45,130 - [Narrator] But the actual Hidden Valley Ranch is failing. 810 00:32:45,130 --> 00:32:46,756 [suspenseful music] 811 00:32:46,756 --> 00:32:50,260 - By the time we pay staff, there's hardly anything left. 812 00:32:50,260 --> 00:32:52,304 [pensive music] 813 00:32:52,304 --> 00:32:53,763 - [Brooke] To help generate more income, 814 00:32:53,763 --> 00:32:55,807 they opened up the restaurant to non-staying guests 815 00:32:55,807 --> 00:32:58,476 and they gave them the opportunity to buy the dressing 816 00:32:58,476 --> 00:33:00,061 and take it home with them. 817 00:33:00,061 --> 00:33:02,606 - [Jason] His wife would also give away little mason jars 818 00:33:02,606 --> 00:33:04,774 with the dressing in it to overnight guests 819 00:33:04,774 --> 00:33:06,026 as like a little souvenir. 820 00:33:06,026 --> 00:33:07,319 - But whether or not this pays off 821 00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:09,196 depends on if people are actually coming back. 822 00:33:09,196 --> 00:33:10,488 These jars, they're cute, 823 00:33:10,488 --> 00:33:12,115 but they're just another cost being added 824 00:33:12,115 --> 00:33:13,450 to a long list of expenses. 825 00:33:13,450 --> 00:33:16,536 [pensive music] 826 00:33:16,536 --> 00:33:19,247 - We're giving away more dressing than we're selling. 827 00:33:19,247 --> 00:33:21,041 - We could try selling it in town. 828 00:33:21,041 --> 00:33:25,962 - [Adam] Creamy dressings require bottling, sterilization, 829 00:33:25,962 --> 00:33:29,591 refrigeration, very expensive process. 830 00:33:30,592 --> 00:33:31,718 - It's not that easy. 831 00:33:33,136 --> 00:33:35,180 - [Rutledge] But, Steve Henson was a hustler. 832 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:36,765 He was an entrepreneur 833 00:33:36,765 --> 00:33:39,059 and he was not the kind of guy that was just gonna give up. 834 00:33:39,059 --> 00:33:41,603 He was always looking for a way 835 00:33:41,603 --> 00:33:43,396 to get through to the other side. 836 00:33:44,648 --> 00:33:46,900 - Steve, could you go make up another jar of dressing? 837 00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:49,361 - [Jason] So, one day, they have some overnight guests, 838 00:33:49,361 --> 00:33:52,697 and they don't have any of their pre-prepped 839 00:33:52,697 --> 00:33:54,324 little dressing jars, 840 00:33:54,324 --> 00:33:56,243 and they don't even have all their ingredients. 841 00:33:56,243 --> 00:33:58,203 - We don't have any buttermilk. 842 00:33:58,203 --> 00:34:00,163 Delivery is not till this afternoon. 843 00:34:00,163 --> 00:34:02,123 - [Jason] So, Henson gets this idea. 844 00:34:02,874 --> 00:34:03,875 - Give me a second. 845 00:34:03,875 --> 00:34:06,294 [pensive music] 846 00:34:06,294 --> 00:34:07,462 - [Jason] Got a little Dixie cup, 847 00:34:07,462 --> 00:34:08,880 he gets his dried ingredients, right, 848 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:10,840 he puts all those dried ingredients in there. 849 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,259 - This is all the seasoning. 850 00:34:12,259 --> 00:34:13,927 - [Jason] And he puts a little note in there 851 00:34:13,927 --> 00:34:16,471 with the amount of mayo and buttermilk that you need to add 852 00:34:16,471 --> 00:34:17,973 to create the dressing. 853 00:34:17,973 --> 00:34:20,600 - Just add a cup of buttermilk and 1/4 cup of mayo. 854 00:34:22,601 --> 00:34:25,272 [suspenseful music] 855 00:34:25,272 --> 00:34:28,817 - [Jason] And then, a light bulb goes off. 856 00:34:28,817 --> 00:34:29,609 - You know, 857 00:34:29,609 --> 00:34:31,695 [pensive music] 858 00:34:31,695 --> 00:34:33,405 maybe we can sell it after all. 859 00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:35,907 - [Jason] The thing that makes this hard to distribute, 860 00:34:35,907 --> 00:34:38,952 hard to sell, are the buttermilk and the mayonnaise. 861 00:34:38,952 --> 00:34:42,956 - [Adam] Steve realizes that there is something here. 862 00:34:42,956 --> 00:34:45,250 I can sell the dry components. 863 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:47,627 - [Narrator] Henson begins packaging his dressing mix 864 00:34:47,627 --> 00:34:50,630 in foil-lined waterproof envelopes. 865 00:34:50,630 --> 00:34:53,800 - [Kate] People have instructions to add this much 866 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,467 buttermilk, add this much mayonnaise, 867 00:34:55,467 --> 00:34:57,887 and they can make their own ranch dressing. 868 00:34:57,887 --> 00:34:59,556 - [Rutledge] So, this is genius, right? 869 00:34:59,556 --> 00:35:02,642 There's no bottling costs, there's no refrigeration issues, 870 00:35:02,642 --> 00:35:04,561 and the most expensive parts about it 871 00:35:04,561 --> 00:35:06,354 are the buttermilk and the mayonnaise. 872 00:35:06,354 --> 00:35:07,856 So, now, 873 00:35:07,856 --> 00:35:10,859 there's an opportunity for a really nice profit margin. 874 00:35:10,859 --> 00:35:13,194 - [Narrator] Henson soon starts selling his packets 875 00:35:13,194 --> 00:35:16,573 for 75 cents a piece via mail order. 876 00:35:16,573 --> 00:35:18,158 - [Jason] But I still don't think he's thinking, 877 00:35:18,158 --> 00:35:20,410 "Oh, this is gonna be this next big thing." 878 00:35:20,410 --> 00:35:22,120 And he's probably thinking like, "Look, 879 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:23,747 this is gonna be a great little promotion 880 00:35:23,747 --> 00:35:27,000 to get people to come to my Hidden Valley Dude Ranch." 881 00:35:28,293 --> 00:35:29,919 - [Narrator] While Henson is still decades away 882 00:35:29,919 --> 00:35:32,922 from making ranch an American obsession, 883 00:35:32,922 --> 00:35:37,552 by 1957, the salad dressing market has nearly tripled, 884 00:35:37,552 --> 00:35:39,929 yet Kraft remains on top, 885 00:35:39,929 --> 00:35:42,098 with Wish-Bone a distant second. 886 00:35:42,098 --> 00:35:43,933 [pensive music] 887 00:35:43,933 --> 00:35:46,978 - [Austin] This must have been very painful for Sollomi. 888 00:35:46,978 --> 00:35:50,690 He's disappointed, he thinks that he's got the best, 889 00:35:50,690 --> 00:35:53,151 and Americans deserve the best. 890 00:35:53,151 --> 00:35:54,611 [pensive music] 891 00:35:54,611 --> 00:35:56,071 - [Narrator] Out of moves, 892 00:35:56,071 --> 00:35:58,740 Sollomi agrees to meet with a possible investor. 893 00:36:00,116 --> 00:36:02,619 - [Investor] I've been following Wish-Bone for a while. 894 00:36:02,619 --> 00:36:04,245 - [Jason] They are a power player 895 00:36:04,245 --> 00:36:07,749 that has been around for over 50 years. 896 00:36:07,749 --> 00:36:11,419 - [Adam] They see that dressing is a massive segment, 897 00:36:11,419 --> 00:36:14,756 and they want to compete with the likes of Kraft. 898 00:36:14,756 --> 00:36:16,007 - A tea company? 899 00:36:17,217 --> 00:36:18,510 You sure it's a fit? 900 00:36:18,510 --> 00:36:20,261 [pensive music] 901 00:36:20,261 --> 00:36:23,556 - We're not just a tea company, Mr. Sollomi. 902 00:36:24,516 --> 00:36:25,433 We're Lipton. 903 00:36:30,230 --> 00:36:31,981 [pensive music] 904 00:36:32,357 --> 00:36:35,318 [lively band music] 905 00:36:38,613 --> 00:36:43,243 - [Narrator] In 1957, America's largest tea company, Lipton, 906 00:36:43,243 --> 00:36:46,454 offers to buy the Wish-Bone Salad Dressing Company. 907 00:36:46,454 --> 00:36:48,832 - Lipton tells Sollomi, "We're willing to pay you 908 00:36:48,832 --> 00:36:50,917 between three and $4 million for this." 909 00:36:50,917 --> 00:36:52,419 And this is not that long 910 00:36:52,419 --> 00:36:56,047 after this guy was just running a restaurant in Kansas City. 911 00:36:56,047 --> 00:36:58,758 - Phillip Sollomi agrees to stay on 912 00:36:58,758 --> 00:37:02,887 to make sure that the Wish-Bone dressing he created 913 00:37:02,887 --> 00:37:05,306 is still the dressing that the public will receive. 914 00:37:05,306 --> 00:37:08,393 - [Kate] But Sollomi only stays on the board for about a year 915 00:37:08,393 --> 00:37:12,105 before he decides he's not quite cut out for corporate life. 916 00:37:12,105 --> 00:37:15,817 So, he happily retires to Arizona a millionaire. 917 00:37:15,817 --> 00:37:17,152 - [Narrator] Over the next decade, 918 00:37:17,152 --> 00:37:19,446 Lipton markets Wish-Bone heavily, 919 00:37:19,446 --> 00:37:21,948 especially its signature Italian. 920 00:37:21,948 --> 00:37:24,826 - They're marketing it as a marinade for meat, 921 00:37:24,826 --> 00:37:28,705 you can brush it on garlic bread, like pasta salad. 922 00:37:28,705 --> 00:37:32,167 It's not just a dressing that you put on lettuce. 923 00:37:32,167 --> 00:37:35,211 And Americans love a multitasker. 924 00:37:35,211 --> 00:37:37,547 - [Adam] So much so that by 1972, 925 00:37:37,547 --> 00:37:39,799 Italian dressing overtakes French 926 00:37:39,799 --> 00:37:43,303 as the most popular dressing in America. 927 00:37:43,303 --> 00:37:45,764 - [Kate] And Wish-Bone ultimately wins out 928 00:37:45,764 --> 00:37:48,641 with the top Italian dressing. 929 00:37:48,641 --> 00:37:50,977 - [Narrator] At the time Italian becomes number one 930 00:37:50,977 --> 00:37:52,187 in America, 931 00:37:52,187 --> 00:37:55,064 Steve Henson has spent 15 years 932 00:37:55,064 --> 00:37:57,233 selling his Hidden Valley Ranch mixes. 933 00:37:57,233 --> 00:37:59,861 - So by the late '60s, the dude ranch is closed. 934 00:37:59,861 --> 00:38:02,113 It's just now serving his offices 935 00:38:02,113 --> 00:38:03,948 for the dressing business. 936 00:38:03,948 --> 00:38:07,535 - [Adam] He has a factory nearby in San Jose, California 937 00:38:07,535 --> 00:38:11,706 that's manufacturing 35,000 packets of ranch dressing 938 00:38:11,706 --> 00:38:13,875 every eight hours. 939 00:38:13,875 --> 00:38:15,418 - [Narrator] They now fulfill mail orders 940 00:38:15,418 --> 00:38:16,753 from across the country 941 00:38:16,753 --> 00:38:19,005 and have even landed in grocery stores 942 00:38:19,005 --> 00:38:20,715 in a handful of states. 943 00:38:20,715 --> 00:38:23,092 - It's so hard to, today, 944 00:38:23,092 --> 00:38:25,220 imagine a world where you cannot find 945 00:38:25,220 --> 00:38:28,348 3,000 different varieties of ranch dressing 946 00:38:28,348 --> 00:38:30,517 all across your supermarket shelves. 947 00:38:30,517 --> 00:38:34,729 It's wild to think that you had to go and get a packet 948 00:38:34,729 --> 00:38:36,564 and mix it yourself. 949 00:38:36,564 --> 00:38:39,150 - But Henson, he's getting overwhelmed at this point. 950 00:38:39,150 --> 00:38:41,361 I think he thought the dude ranch was probably gonna be like 951 00:38:41,361 --> 00:38:44,572 his sort of laid-back cowboy lifestyle. 952 00:38:44,572 --> 00:38:47,659 But he's trying to keep up with this dressing business, 953 00:38:47,659 --> 00:38:50,245 so he's trying to figure out an exit strategy. 954 00:38:50,245 --> 00:38:52,622 [suspenseful music] 955 00:38:52,622 --> 00:38:55,792 - [Adam] And then Steve Henson catches the eye of another 956 00:38:55,792 --> 00:38:59,128 company that is looking to diversify their portfolio 957 00:38:59,128 --> 00:39:00,421 into the world of food. 958 00:39:00,421 --> 00:39:01,965 [upbeat music] 959 00:39:01,965 --> 00:39:04,717 - Imagine your ranch mix 960 00:39:04,717 --> 00:39:07,637 in every grocery aisle in the country. 961 00:39:08,930 --> 00:39:12,392 - Look, why is a bleach company looking at salad dressing? 962 00:39:12,392 --> 00:39:13,935 - [Jason] It sounds like a punchline, but it's 963 00:39:13,935 --> 00:39:14,978 totally true. 964 00:39:14,978 --> 00:39:16,020 [pensive music] 965 00:39:16,020 --> 00:39:17,313 - That's the point. 966 00:39:17,313 --> 00:39:20,859 We don't want to be just bleach anymore. 967 00:39:20,859 --> 00:39:24,070 - [Jason] Clorox, the bleach company, 968 00:39:24,070 --> 00:39:25,113 they wanna get into food. 969 00:39:25,113 --> 00:39:26,906 [pensive music] 970 00:39:26,906 --> 00:39:29,367 - [Adam] Clorox makes Steve Henson an offer 971 00:39:29,367 --> 00:39:33,288 for 203,000 shares of Clorox, 972 00:39:33,288 --> 00:39:37,208 which, at that point, are valued at $8 million, 973 00:39:37,208 --> 00:39:41,004 $77 million in today's money. 974 00:39:41,004 --> 00:39:43,339 - [Jason] So, Steve Henson finally gets his dream. 975 00:39:43,339 --> 00:39:44,841 He retires a millionaire 976 00:39:44,841 --> 00:39:46,426 and lives out the rest of his days 977 00:39:46,426 --> 00:39:48,845 splitting time between sunny Southern California 978 00:39:48,845 --> 00:39:50,680 and vacations in Costa Rica. 979 00:39:51,598 --> 00:39:52,932 His son, Nolan, 980 00:39:52,932 --> 00:39:55,268 he continues on with the Hidden Valley business. 981 00:39:55,268 --> 00:39:56,394 [suspenseful music] 982 00:39:56,394 --> 00:39:57,604 - [Narrator] Over the next decade, 983 00:39:57,604 --> 00:40:00,064 Clorox puts Hidden Valley Ranch packets 984 00:40:00,064 --> 00:40:02,817 into stores nationwide. 985 00:40:02,817 --> 00:40:05,028 Then, in 1984, 986 00:40:05,028 --> 00:40:09,032 Clorox scientists cracked the code Henson never could. 987 00:40:10,116 --> 00:40:12,577 - Well, once it's bottled and sealed, 988 00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:15,121 it'll stay fresh on the shelf for months. 989 00:40:15,121 --> 00:40:17,290 [compelling music] 990 00:40:17,290 --> 00:40:19,500 - [Narrator] Bottled ranch. 991 00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:22,879 - Foil packets that people need to add ingredients to 992 00:40:22,879 --> 00:40:26,549 just can't compete with the ease of opening a bottle. 993 00:40:26,549 --> 00:40:28,593 - [Narrator] But the ultimate boost to Hidden Valley Ranch 994 00:40:28,593 --> 00:40:30,345 will come two years later. 995 00:40:30,345 --> 00:40:32,722 - Ranch is still a fairly unknown flavor, 996 00:40:32,722 --> 00:40:34,474 so what's it gonna take? 997 00:40:34,474 --> 00:40:36,643 A huge marketing campaign? 998 00:40:36,643 --> 00:40:37,477 Nope. 999 00:40:37,477 --> 00:40:38,937 [upbeat music] 1000 00:40:38,937 --> 00:40:42,941 - [Adam] In 1986, leading snack chip brand Doritos 1001 00:40:42,941 --> 00:40:47,570 changes the trajectory of ranch as we know it forever 1002 00:40:47,570 --> 00:40:50,740 by launching a chip with a brand-new flavor, 1003 00:40:50,740 --> 00:40:53,284 Cool Ranch Doritos. 1004 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:56,412 - Cool Ranch Doritos are my all-time favorite chips. 1005 00:40:56,412 --> 00:40:58,957 I'll eat several bags, I will admit. 1006 00:40:58,957 --> 00:41:00,458 Probably too many bags. 1007 00:41:00,458 --> 00:41:02,835 - [Narrator] Cool Ranch Doritos turns ranch flavor 1008 00:41:02,835 --> 00:41:05,463 into a nationwide sensation overnight. 1009 00:41:05,463 --> 00:41:06,631 - [Rutledge] Next thing you know, 1010 00:41:06,631 --> 00:41:07,840 you got Wish-Bone Ranch Dressing, 1011 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,217 you got Kraft Ranch Dressing. 1012 00:41:09,217 --> 00:41:10,677 Everybody wants in on it. 1013 00:41:10,677 --> 00:41:12,095 [compelling music] 1014 00:41:12,095 --> 00:41:14,931 - [Narrator] Today, ranch has dethroned Italian 1015 00:41:14,931 --> 00:41:17,767 as America's favorite dressing. 1016 00:41:17,767 --> 00:41:19,435 Ranch products now rake in 1017 00:41:19,435 --> 00:41:23,189 a staggering $1.2 billion annually. 1018 00:41:23,189 --> 00:41:26,150 - [Adam] The other popular dressings were called Russian, 1019 00:41:26,150 --> 00:41:28,486 Italian, French. 1020 00:41:28,486 --> 00:41:33,282 But ranch? That's a distinctly American flavor. 1021 00:41:33,282 --> 00:41:35,785 - [Narrator] Hidden Valley remains the king of ranch 1022 00:41:35,785 --> 00:41:40,206 with 72 million Americans using a bottle each month. 1023 00:41:40,206 --> 00:41:41,457 - [Jason] Hidden Valley Ranch comes in like all 1024 00:41:41,457 --> 00:41:43,001 sorts of flavors now. 1025 00:41:43,001 --> 00:41:46,546 You've got things like Jalapeno, Pickle, Nashville Hot. 1026 00:41:46,546 --> 00:41:48,756 You've got dips, you've got bottled seasonings. 1027 00:41:48,756 --> 00:41:51,801 I mean, there's even a Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream. 1028 00:41:51,801 --> 00:41:53,177 [compelling music] 1029 00:41:53,177 --> 00:41:54,429 - [Narrator] But none of this happens 1030 00:41:54,429 --> 00:41:56,973 without the brand that taught Americans 1031 00:41:56,973 --> 00:41:59,392 to crave Boulder flavors. 1032 00:41:59,392 --> 00:42:02,603 - [Jason] So now, we have so many flavors of dressing, 1033 00:42:02,603 --> 00:42:05,398 and this is really all thanks to Wish-Bone 1034 00:42:05,398 --> 00:42:08,818 and their relentless push to compete with Kraft. 1035 00:42:08,818 --> 00:42:11,904 - [Narrator] Wish-Bone now sells over $200 million 1036 00:42:11,904 --> 00:42:13,740 in dressing each year. 1037 00:42:13,740 --> 00:42:16,325 Yet across all bottled condiments, 1038 00:42:16,325 --> 00:42:18,411 Hellmann's still dominates, 1039 00:42:18,411 --> 00:42:20,496 owning close to 50% 1040 00:42:20,496 --> 00:42:24,625 of the nearly $3 billion American mayonnaise industry. 1041 00:42:24,625 --> 00:42:27,754 - [Adam] Think about how many sauces, and dips, 1042 00:42:27,754 --> 00:42:31,591 and salads that we owe to Hellmann's. 1043 00:42:31,591 --> 00:42:32,759 Where would we be? 1044 00:42:32,759 --> 00:42:34,969 It is the mayo that binds us. 1045 00:42:34,969 --> 00:42:37,597 - [Jason] They've made our world a much more flavorful place. 1046 00:42:37,597 --> 00:42:41,267 These brands, they really are dressed for success. 1047 00:42:41,267 --> 00:42:44,145 [compelling music]