Zapp's
Encyclopedia
Zapp's is a brand of potato chip
made in the United States
. The chips are cooked and packaged in Gramercy, Louisiana
. The chips are kettle
-cooked in peanut oil
(instead of vegetable oil, which many other companies use). Zapp's market themselves with their Cajun
heritage, using names such as "Spicy Cajun Crawtator", "Sour Cream and Creole Onion" and "Cajun Dill Gator-tators". Others, in addition to the "Regular Flavored" include "Jalapeño" and "Mesquite BBQ". They have also marketed numerous chips such as a limited edition Mardi Gras
chip.
The company was founded by Ron Zappe, a former oil field entrepreneur who relocated from Texas to Louisiana and went into the potato chip business after he lost his oilfield services companies in the 1980s oil bust
. (Zappe later received national attention for his 1988
campaign appearance on behalf of Republican vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle
, crediting a jobs program co-created by Quayle with enabling him to start his factory in Gramercy.) Zappe's first creation, the Cajun Crawtator, was introduced in 1985 as the nation's first spicy Cajun chip. Zapp's "Tiger Tators" were the first food product licensed by Louisiana State University
, and it also sold "Who Dat?
” chips in honor of the New Orleans Saints
. In 1993 Zapp's acquired the Dirty Chip Company in Memphis, TN which manufactures Dirty Chips brand kettle chips. In 2006 Zapp's acquired the California Chip Company in Oxnard, CA which manufactures California Chips brand potato chips. Zappe appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
in 1997, and the chips were profiled in national publications such as People
and The Wall Street Journal
.
Zappe died in Houston, Texas
on June 1, 2010 at the age of 67. In January 2011, it was reported that the company would be sold to Utz Quality Foods of Hanover, Pennsylvania
.
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
made in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The chips are cooked and packaged in Gramercy, Louisiana
Gramercy, Louisiana
Gramercy is a town in St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,066 at the 2000 census.-History:Gramercy was originally an Indian and French settlement and trading post. In 1739, much of the area which is now known as Gramercy was sold to Joseph Delille Dupart, Commissioner...
. The chips are kettle
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
-cooked in peanut oil
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is an organic material oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the aroma and taste of its parent legume....
(instead of vegetable oil, which many other companies use). Zapp's market themselves with their Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
heritage, using names such as "Spicy Cajun Crawtator", "Sour Cream and Creole Onion" and "Cajun Dill Gator-tators". Others, in addition to the "Regular Flavored" include "Jalapeño" and "Mesquite BBQ". They have also marketed numerous chips such as a limited edition Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
chip.
The company was founded by Ron Zappe, a former oil field entrepreneur who relocated from Texas to Louisiana and went into the potato chip business after he lost his oilfield services companies in the 1980s oil bust
1980s oil glut
The 1980s oil glut was a serious surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1970s Energy Crisis. The world price of oil, which had peaked in 1980 at over US$35 per barrel , fell in 1986 from $27 to below $10...
. (Zappe later received national attention for his 1988
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
campaign appearance on behalf of Republican vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
, crediting a jobs program co-created by Quayle with enabling him to start his factory in Gramercy.) Zappe's first creation, the Cajun Crawtator, was introduced in 1985 as the nation's first spicy Cajun chip. Zapp's "Tiger Tators" were the first food product licensed by Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, and it also sold "Who Dat?
Who Dat?
Who dat? is an English idiom originating from New Orleans for over a century. First referenced in poetry, the phrase was a common dialogue element between the performers and crowd at traveling minstrel shows in the region. Eventually, the phrase became used in US cinematic productions for two...
” chips in honor of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. In 1993 Zapp's acquired the Dirty Chip Company in Memphis, TN which manufactures Dirty Chips brand kettle chips. In 2006 Zapp's acquired the California Chip Company in Oxnard, CA which manufactures California Chips brand potato chips. Zappe appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in 1997, and the chips were profiled in national publications such as People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
and The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
.
Zappe died in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
on June 1, 2010 at the age of 67. In January 2011, it was reported that the company would be sold to Utz Quality Foods of Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
.