🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

What Well Known Frozen Food Was Named After a Bar in Medford, Wisconsin?

Correct Answer: A) Tombstone Pizza

🍕 Tombstone Pizza: From Tavern Origins to Freezer Aisles

Tombstone is a well-known brand of frozen pizza, offering a variety of toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, bell peppers, and sausage. The packaging often features images of a cactus and the pizza itself, evoking a Southwestern theme.

Origins and Growth

Founded in Medford, Wisconsin, in 1962 by Pep Simek, his brother Ron Simek, and two other partners, Tombstone Pizza originated from The Tombstone Tavern, a bar owned by the Simeks and located across from a cemetery. This unique location inspired the brand's name.

In 1988, Kraft Foods acquired the Tombstone Pizza Company, making it a wholly owned but independent division. Despite the change in ownership, the existing employees retained their positions, though the Simek brothers stepped down from their active roles.

Acquisition by Nestlé

On January 5, 2010, Kraft Foods announced the sale of its frozen pizza division, including Tombstone, to Swiss-based Nestlé Foods. This strategic move aimed to generate funds for Kraft's acquisition of Cadbury, a prominent chocolate manufacturer. Tombstone, along with other frozen pizza brands like DiGiorno, Jacks, and California Pizza Kitchen's frozen line, became part of Nestlé's direct store delivery (DSD) division.

Memorable Slogans

Tombstone's advertising campaigns are known for their memorable slogans. The famous tagline, "What do you want on your Tombstone?" was created by the Chicago office of Foote, Cone & Belding. These Western-themed commercials typically depicted a mock public execution where the accused would cheekily request pizza toppings instead of an epitaph, leading to the delivery of a Tombstone pizza.

Another slogan used in the late 1990s and early 2000s was "Shoulda had that Tombstone." One notable commercial featured a boy hiding in his girlfriend's room, only to be betrayed by his growling stomach, humorously implying he should have had a Tombstone pizza to avoid the situation.