11 Fascinating Facts About Eggo Waffles

Few things are as comforting as the thought of a warm, golden waffle ready to be toasted from your freezer, making Eggo waffles a revolutionary addition to breakfast routines. How much do you really know about this iconic morning treat? In celebration of National Waffle Week, we’ve uncovered some intriguing details about this beloved food.

1. THEIR CREATORS STARTED AS MAYONNAISE TYCOONS.

The origins of Eggo are more modest than you might imagine. In 1932, Frank Dorsa of San Jose, California, along with his brothers Anthony and Sam, embarked on a culinary venture in their parents’ basement. Their initial success came not from waffles but from a new mayonnaise brand. During the Depression, Eggo Mayonnaise gained popularity by advertising its use of “100 percent fresh ranch eggs” and “triple refined vegetable oil.” A 1939 headline in the San Jose Evening News even proclaimed, “Local Mayonnaise is Highly Popular.”

2. WAFFLES ENTERED THE PICTURE LATER.

After dominating the local mayonnaise market, the Dorsa brothers didn’t stop there. As Frank Dorsa’s obituary highlighted, they transformed a modest $50 investment into the foundation of their waffle empire. Initially, they sold both mayonnaise and fresh waffle batter to customers in northern California. However, they soon faced a challenge: transporting fresh batter and mayonnaise limited their distribution range. To overcome this, they developed a powdered mix that could be easily prepared with milk, expanding their reach significantly.

3. THE EGGO BRAND CONTINUED TO EXPAND.

As their waffle and mayonnaise business flourished, the Dorsa brothers broadened their horizons. In 1938, they purchased the Garden City Potato Chip factory, introducing Eggo chips to the market. Over time, the Eggo brand diversified, offering an array of products beyond waffles, such as noodles, salad dressings, and pretzels. Trade.mar.cx showcases an interesting assortment of vintage Eggo packaging.

4. VENTURING INTO CHIPS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR TODAY’S EGGO PRODUCTS.

The purchase of the potato chip factory did more than diversify Eggo’s offerings. It allowed Frank Dorsa to showcase his inventive skills. With a background as a machinist and experience at a food machinery company, Dorsa developed a continuous potato peeler, eliminating the need for manual peeling. This innovation and focus on automation proved invaluable as the Dorsas tackled future challenges in their business.

5. THE SHIFT TO FROZEN FOODS POSED A CHALLENGE.

By the 1950s, post-war America’s preference shifted away from fresh waffle batter and even the Dorsas’ powdered Eggo mix. Frozen foods were gaining popularity, and for Eggo to remain competitive, it needed to adapt to this trend. However, the Dorsas faced a significant hurdle: waffle-making is labor-intensive, requiring careful batter pouring and cooking supervision. At first glance, waffles didn’t seem like a product that could be efficiently mass-produced.

6. FRANK DORSA'S INGENIOUS SOLUTION WAS UNIQUELY CREATIVE.

Having started in their parents’ basement during the Great Depression, the Dorsas were no strangers to overcoming challenges. Frank tackled the waffle-making dilemma head-on, and by 1953, he devised a clever and inventive solution. Using a merry-go-round engine, he constructed a massive rotating machine fitted with multiple waffle irons. As the carousel turned, the waffles cooked, and workers flipped them at the perfect moment. This innovation allowed Eggo to produce thousands of waffles every hour.

7. THEY WERE INITIALLY MARKETED UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME.

The machine’s efficiency enabled Eggo to produce thousands of waffles hourly, delighting American consumers. When Dorsa’s invention debuted in grocery freezers in 1953, they weren’t called Eggo Waffles. Instead, they were marketed as Froffles, blending “frozen” and “waffles.” After gaining popularity on the West Coast and becoming a breakfast staple, the name was changed to Eggo Waffles in 1955.

8. EGGO WAFFLES BECAME A NATIONAL PHENOMENON IN THE 1970S.

After years of winning over West Coast consumers, Eggo waffles gained nationwide prominence when Kellogg acquired the brand in the 1970s. This move proved highly successful for Kellogg, as Eggo now dominates over 60 percent of the $1.2 billion frozen waffle, pancake, and French toast market.

9. KELLOGG ALSO INTRODUCED THE BRAND'S ICONIC SLOGAN.

Launching Eggo nationally required a memorable slogan, and ad agency Leo Burnett delivered. In 1972, the “Leggo My Eggo” campaign debuted, becoming a cornerstone of Eggo’s marketing for 36 years. Although Kellogg retired the slogan in 2008, its popularity led to its revival in late 2014.

10. EGGO ENTHUSIASTS FACED CHALLENGES IN 2009 AND 2010.

In 2009, Kellogg encountered what could be described as the most significant waffle crisis in history. In September, their Atlanta facility—one of four Eggo production plants—was found to have a Listeria contamination, leading to the recall of 4500 cases of waffles. Just as the plant was set to resume operations, severe rains and flooding struck the region, further halting production. Combined with the temporary closure of their Rossville, Tennessee plant for equipment repairs, the situation became dire. Kellogg warned customers that Eggo shortages would continue until mid-2010. Fortunately, the company resolved the issues by 2010, allowing waffle lovers to restock their freezers.

11. DORSA NEVER MASTERED FROZEN PANCAKES.

When Frank Dorsa, the visionary behind Eggo, passed away in 1996, his obituaries highlighted his lifelong passion for innovation. Among his many inventions was a fryer that prevented bacon from curling. However, his son revealed that one goal remained unachieved: perfecting a recipe for frozen pancakes. It’s fitting, then, that the current Eggo product line includes pancakes, a tribute to Dorsa’s enduring legacy.