The Uncrustables brand is somehow headed for $1B in annual sales and its timeline is wild:
β«οΈ1995: Two dads in North Dakota invent frozen crustless PB&J sandwiches and sell them to the local school district
β«οΈ1998: Acquired by Smuckers for $1m
β«οΈ1999: A US patent is issued for a βsealed crustless sandwhichβ
β«οΈ2004: Sales hit ~$30m
β«οΈ2008: US Patent Office rescinds the patent for a βsealed crustless sandwhichβ
β«οΈ2021: Smuckers invests $1.1B to build a plant in Alabama
β«οΈ2022: Sales hit $500m+ and the brand launches meat, cheese and taco versions
β«οΈ2023: Smuckers plans to put real marketing push behind brand to get to $1B (previously was word-of-mouth because it didnβt have factories to meet demand)
β«οΈ1995: Two dads in North Dakota invent frozen crustless PB&J sandwiches and sell them to the local school district
β«οΈ1998: Acquired by Smuckers for $1m
β«οΈ1999: A US patent is issued for a βsealed crustless sandwhichβ
β«οΈ2004: Sales hit ~$30m
β«οΈ2008: US Patent Office rescinds the patent for a βsealed crustless sandwhichβ
β«οΈ2021: Smuckers invests $1.1B to build a plant in Alabama
β«οΈ2022: Sales hit $500m+ and the brand launches meat, cheese and taco versions
β«οΈ2023: Smuckers plans to put real marketing push behind brand to get to $1B (previously was word-of-mouth because it didnβt have factories to meet demand)
This patent filing is absolutely demented:
βA sealed crustless sandwich for providing a convenient sandwich without an outer crust which can be stored for long periods of time without a central filling from leaking outwardly. The inventive device includes a lower bread portion, an upper bread portion, an upper filling and a lower filling between the lower and upper bread portions, a center filling sealed between the upper and lower fillings, and a crimped edge along an outer perimeter of the bread portions for sealing the fillings therebetween. The upper and lower fillings are preferably comprised of peanut butter and the center filling is comprised of at least jelly. The center filling is prevented from radiating outwardly into and through the bread portions from the surrounding peanut butter.β
patents.google.com
βA sealed crustless sandwich for providing a convenient sandwich without an outer crust which can be stored for long periods of time without a central filling from leaking outwardly. The inventive device includes a lower bread portion, an upper bread portion, an upper filling and a lower filling between the lower and upper bread portions, a center filling sealed between the upper and lower fillings, and a crimped edge along an outer perimeter of the bread portions for sealing the fillings therebetween. The upper and lower fillings are preferably comprised of peanut butter and the center filling is comprised of at least jelly. The center filling is prevented from radiating outwardly into and through the bread portions from the surrounding peanut butter.β
patents.google.com
Alright, I gotta give Smuckers some due.
β You have to create the Uncrustables so it thaws in an exact time frame for the kidβs snack time at school
β Smuckers said it took a decade to get bread just right to prevent leaks
β Smuckers is making 4.5m Uncrustables a day
Link 1: foodbusinessnews.net
Link 2: foodengineeringmag.com
β You have to create the Uncrustables so it thaws in an exact time frame for the kidβs snack time at school
β Smuckers said it took a decade to get bread just right to prevent leaks
β Smuckers is making 4.5m Uncrustables a day
Link 1: foodbusinessnews.net
Link 2: foodengineeringmag.com
Just asked ChatGPT β via my Bearly.AI research app β to recommend Uncrustables brand extensions to get that next $1B.
Suggested Banh Mi Uncrustables! Youβre welcome Smuckers.
Suggested Banh Mi Uncrustables! Youβre welcome Smuckers.
The argument Smuckers tried making to keep the patent was on how it sealed the sandwhich edges.
The legal language is gold: unlike pie crust or ravioli, Uncrustables are made without βcommingling the two bread slices into an amorphous homogeneous mass.β: wsj.com
The legal language is gold: unlike pie crust or ravioli, Uncrustables are made without βcommingling the two bread slices into an amorphous homogeneous mass.β: wsj.com
Looks kinda good tbh
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