The Food That Built America

The Food That Built America is an American nonfiction docudrama series for the History Channel, that premiered on August 11, 2019. Each episode outlines the development of a popular type of food or restaurant in the United States, typically focusing on the rise of two major companies that become rivals. Historical events in the relevant timelines are re-enacted for dramatic effect and interspersed with commentary by culinary historians, business experts, and food enthusiasts.^[3][4]

The Food That Built America
Genre	Docudrama
Presented by	Adam Richman and others[1]
Narrated by	Campbell Scott[2]
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	69
Production
Executive producers	Kim Woodard Greg Henry Isaac Holub Yoshi Stone Jim Pasquarella Mary E. Donahue
Production company	Lucky 8
Original release
Network	History
Release	August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11) – present

The series was first announced in March 2019 and premiered on August 11, 2019. To date, it has aired six complete seasons and 69 episodes. It is the fourth installment of the That Built franchise.

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	3		August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11)	August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13)
2	16		February 9, 2021 (2021-02-09)	June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27)
3	12		February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27)	May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15)
4	16		February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)
5	12		February 25, 2024 (2024-02-25)	July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28)
6	10		February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23)	May 4, 2025 (2025-05-04)

Season 1 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Viewers (millions)
1	1	"Lines in the Sand"	August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11)	1.16[5]
Before they become brand names, budding innovators like Henry Heinz, John and Will Kellogg, and C.W. Post push the limits of ingenuity to launch business that will revolutionize industry, and change the landscape of the nation forever.
2	2	"Best Served Cold"	August 12, 2019 (2019-08-12)	1.36[6]
A trailblazer named Milton Hershey bets big on a revolutionary idea, and then a father and son duo named Mars start on a path to challenge the chocolate throne. Plus, the titans of food weather the storm of the First World War and push the boundaries of invention in the Roaring Twenties.
3	3	"The Spoils of War"	August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13)	1.51[7]
WWII sees competing industrial empires joining the war effort in a united front to fuel the forces fighting abroad. In Post-War America, visionaries like Harland Sanders, the McDonald brothers and Ray Kroc battle to revolutionize the restaurant industry, and pave the way for the golden age of the American dream.

Season 2 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Viewers (millions)
4	1	"Pizza Wars"	February 9, 2021 (2021-02-09)	1.21[8]
Two sets of Irish-American brothers, the Carney brothers in Kansas and the Monaghan brothers in Michigan created the rival pizza restaurant chains in America that became the largest chains in the world, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza respectively.
5	2	"Chocolate Rush"	February 14, 2021 (2021-02-14)	1.03[9]
H.B. Reese and Otto Schnering appear in the market to challenge Milton Hershey's chocolate supremacy.
6	3	"The Kings of Burgers"	February 21, 2021 (2021-02-21)	1.25[10]
The founders of Burger King take on the behemoth that is McDonald's by introducing the first signature burger, the Whopper.
7	4	"American Cheese"	February 28, 2021 (2021-02-28)	1.15[11]
James L. Kraft tackles the problem of preserving cheese, developing the first processed cheese. In order to save their company during Prohibition, the Pabst brothers introduce a shelf-stable cheese of their own.
8	5	"Cola Wars"	March 7, 2021 (2021-03-07)	0.99[12]
In the 1970s, Pepsi introduces the Pepsi Challenge to take aim at Coca-Cola head on.
9	6	"Chip Dynasties"	March 14, 2021 (2021-03-14)	1.10[13]
The introduction of convenient salty snacks, from Herman Lay and Charles Elmer Doolin come two of the most iconic foods in America.
10	7	"Cookie Wars"	March 21, 2021 (2021-03-21)	1.07[14]
Cookies and crackers arrive on the market as Nabisco and Sunshine Biscuits battle for biscuit supremacy, introducing Hydrox and Oreo cookies among other favorites.
11	8	"Soup of the Century"	March 28, 2021 (2021-03-28)	0.95[15]
The history of Joseph A. Campbell's creation of condensed soup and his rivalry with Henry Heinz.
12	9	"Godfathers of Fast Food"	April 4, 2021 (2021-04-04)	1.15[16]
The histories of fast food pioneers White Castle and Nathan's Famous.
13	10	"The TV Dinner"	April 11, 2021 (2021-04-11)	1.05[17]
Gilbert Swanson's creation of the TV dinner to use excess frozen turkey while restaurateur Vernon Stouffer's creation of the TV dinner to harness new technology - the microwave.
14	11	"Ice Cream Empires"	April 18, 2021 (2021-04-18)	1.00[18]
Harry Burt and Frank Epperson begin the battle of the ice cream treats in the 1920s.
15	12	"A Game of Chicken"	May 31, 2021 (2021-05-31)	1.00[19]
Donald N. Smith leaves McDonald's to become the Burger King CEO. Fred L. Turner and Ray Kroc churn out the Happy Meal in 1979.
16	13	"When the Chips Are Down"	June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06)	0.82[20]
Herman Lay introduces the first flavored potato chip and steers the merger between Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. At Procter & Gamble, a chemist sets out to develop the perfect potato chip and comes up with Pringles.
17	14	"The Rise of a Rival"	June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13)	0.64[21]
Charles Guth develops a rival to Coca Cola, introducing the world to Pepsi.
18	15	"Gum Slingers"	June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20)	0.75[22]
The birth and growth of the American Chicle and Wrigley in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the development of the chewing gum industry is dramatized.
19	16	"Breakfast Barons"	June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27)	0.59[23]
C. W. Post and his company battle the Kellogg brothers' Kellogg's in this dramatization about the development of the breakfast cereal industry.

Season 3 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Viewers (millions)
20	1	"Submarine Warfare"	February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27)	0.81[24]
The birth in the mid-1960s and growth of the Subway and Blimpie submarine sandwich chains are dramatized.
21	2	"A Cold One"	March 6, 2022 (2022-03-06)	0.86[25]
The birth in the mid-19th century and growth of the Schlitz and the Pabst beer companies are dramatized.
22	3	"Do or Donut"	March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13)	0.89[26]
The birth in the mid-20th century and growth of the Dunkin' Donuts and the Krispy Kreme retail doughnut chains are dramatized.
23	4	"A Dish Best Served... Soft"	March 20, 2022 (2022-03-20)	0.68[27]
The birth in the mid-20th century and growth of the Carvel and Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream chains are dramatized.
24	5	"The Best Thing Since..."	March 27, 2022 (2022-03-27)	0.76[28]
The best thing since sliced bread. This episode is the dramatization of the rise of the Continental Baking Company during the mid-20th century under the leadership of Lee Marshall with the development of Wonder Bread, the first nationwide available pre-sliced white bread, and the supermarket bakery snack Twinkie. This story is contrast with that of the birth and rise of Pepperidge Farm under the leadership of Margaret Rudkin whose company developed a whole wheat bread before diversifying with the introductions of Goldfish crackers and Milano cookies.
25	6	"Cookie Fortunes"	April 3, 2022 (2022-04-03)	0.73[29]
By the 1970s, large food conglomerates such as Nabisco and Keebler had dominated the low cost store-bought cookie market for decades, but none of those cookies had that at-home taste that people crave and willing to pay more money for higher-quality better-tasting cookies. That all changed when entrepreneurs Debbi Fields and Wally Amos respectively created the Mrs. Fields and Famous Amos brands of gourmet chocolate chip cookies.
26	7	"The Beef is On"	April 10, 2022 (2022-04-10)	0.73[30]
A rising star at KFC, Dave Thomas, comes up with some of the most iconic items of the chicken chain's history, such as the red and white bucket. Then, he decides to go off on his own and create Wendy's.
27	8	"Pop Stars"	April 17, 2022 (2022-04-17)	0.85[31]
While Orville Redenbacher spends decades perfecting the popcorn kernel, Frederick Mennen develops a better way to pop popcorn in Jiffy Pop. Meanwhile, General Mills enters the popcorn wars with microwave popcorn Pop Secret
28	9	"Beyond the Burger"	April 24, 2022 (2022-04-24)	0.80[32]
Glen Bell tries to go beyond the hamburger in creating Taco Bell. At the same time, Forrest and Leroy Raffel work on finding a non-burger concept to take on McDonald's, which ultimately introduces Arby's to the world of fast food.
29	10	"Chain Reaction"	May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01)	0.82[33]
In New York, two men each come up with a separate and vastly different idea that turns into one of the biggest chain restaurants in America - Benihana and TGI Fridays.
30	11	"Let Them Eat Snack Cakes"	May 8, 2022 (2022-05-08)	0.89[34]
The battle of the prepackaged snack cakes is on, as Entenmann's and Little Debbie make their way onto America's shelves.
31	12	"Pasta Party"	May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15)	0.86[35]
The rivalry of Kraft and Chef Boyardee over macaroni.

Season 4 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Title [36]	Original release date [36]	Viewers (millions)
32	1	"Breakfast That Pops"	February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	0.55[37]
Kellogg's and Post renew their rivalry, this time over breakfast foods that require the use of a bread toaster.
33	2	"Holiday Treats"	February 26, 2023 (2023-02-26)	0.56[38]
The story of how three types of candy become associated with different holidays: conversation hearts for Valentine's Day, candy corn for Halloween, and Peeps for Easter.
34	3	"Flight of the Buffalo Wing"	March 5, 2023 (2023-03-05)	0.50[39]
The development of the chicken wing as a signature American snack, and the rise of two restaurant chains specializing in them: Buffalo Wild Wings and Hooters.
35	4	"Candy Revolution"	March 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)	0.47[40]
The story a of new generation of candies like Nerds, Gobstoppers, Push Pop and Gummy Bears.
36	5	"Clash of the Coffee"	March 19, 2023 (2023-03-19)	0.60[41]
Alfred Peet mentors three friends whose Italian-style coffeehouses eventually become the world's largest chain. The rivalry of coffee titans Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts leads to new, high-sugar drinks like the Frappuccino which revolutionize the coffee market in America.
37	6	"The Chicken Coup"	March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26)	0.45[42]
The rise of the chicken sandwich under Popeyes and Chick-fil-A.
38	7	"When Food Freezes Over"	April 2, 2023 (2023-04-02)	0.50[43]
The microwave oven helps the rise of frozen food brands like Totino's, Hot Pockets and White Castle's frozen sliders.
39	8	"Thanksgiving Dinner"	April 9, 2023 (2023-04-09)	0.38[44]
The Thanksgiving feast inspires technological innovations including the Butterball frozen turkey and Ocean Spray canned jellied cranberry sauce. Dorcas Reilly invents the green bean casserole for Campbell's, and Ruth Siems creates Stove Top stuffing at General Foods.
40	9	"Peanut Butter Battle"	April 16, 2023 (2023-04-16)	0.47[45]
Joseph L. Rosefield patents a non-separating hydrogenated peanut butter that leads to the rival brands Peter Pan and Skippy. Procter & Gamble changes the market with Jif, which contains more sugar and non-peanut vegetable oils.
41	10	"American Spirits"	April 23, 2023 (2023-04-23)	0.68[46]
How bourbon and vodka was saved in America.
42	11	"Where There's Smoke"	June 11, 2023 (2023-06-11)	0.50[47]
How the essentials of the American barbecue experience were invented.
43	12	"Thirst Quenchers"	June 18, 2023 (2023-06-18)	0.46[48]
The rise of non-carbonated softdrinks like Hi-C, Kool Aid and Gatorade.
44	13	"Supermarket Sweep"	June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)	0.63[49]
The story of who created the supermarket.
45	14	"Bring Home the Bacon"	July 9, 2023 (2023-07-09)	N/A
How Oscar Mayer and George A. Hormel modernized America's meat industry.
46	15	"Dog Eat Dog"	July 16, 2023 (2023-07-16)	N/A
The creation of the pet food industry.
47	16	"Beer Run"	July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23)	N/A
The rivalry of Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company over lite beer.

Season 5 (2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Viewers (millions)
48	1	"All American Marinara"	February 25, 2024 (2024-02-25)	N/A
The introduction of SpaghettiOs in the 1960s and the Prego brand of pasta sauce in the 1980s by Campbell's. General Mills starts the first nationwide restaurant chain specializing in Italian–American cuisine, Olive Garden.
49	2	"Ice Cream Revolution"	March 3, 2024 (2024-03-03)	N/A
The invention of mix-in ice cream, as well as the founding of Herrell's Ice Cream and Ben & Jerry's. Around the same time, Dairy Queen introduced their Blizzard.
50	3	"Soda Rising: Birth of Pop"	March 10, 2024 (2024-03-10)	N/A
The origins of soft drink brands Hires Root Beer and Dr. Pepper is depicted.
51	4	"Sunshine in a Glass"	March 17, 2024 (2024-03-17)	N/A
The origins of orange juice brands Minute Maid and Tropicana are depicted.
52	5	"Let Them Bake Cake"	March 24, 2024 (2024-03-24)	N/A
The origins of the Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines brands are presented, stemming from efforts to formulate an easy-to-use boxed cake mix.
53	6	"Penny Candy Craze"	March 31, 2024 (2024-03-31)	N/A
The origin of the Tootsie Roll and the Charms Candy Company, triggering a wave of popularity in penny candy sales to the general public.
54	7	"Champions of Breakfast"	April 14, 2024 (2024-04-14)	N/A
The rise of General Mills as a competitor to Kellogg's in the breakfast cereal industry, spurring a race to develop new cereal types and marketing techniques with the introduction of Wheaties, Pep, Rice Krispies, Kix, Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, and Trix.
55	8	"Planet Mars"	April 21, 2024 (2024-04-21)	N/A
The founding of Mars Inc. and the disagreements between Franklin Clarence Mars and his son Forrest, who strikes out on his own to expand the family brand into Europe and turn it into a candy-making powerhouse.
56	9	"Lunchbox Legends"	July 7, 2024 (2024-07-07)	N/A
The development of three products from the 1960s through the 1980s that revolutionize schoolchildren's lunches – Kraft Singles, individually wrapped cheese slices; Joray Fruit Rolls, dried fruit snacks that become the forerunner of Fruit Roll-Ups; and Lunchables, pre-packaged meat/cheese/cracker meals.
57	10	"The Colonel"	July 14, 2024 (2024-07-14)	N/A
The story of Harland Sanders and his new method for cooking fried chicken is presented, tracing his path from small-time restaurant owner to founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and then to strident critic of the cost-cutting measures imposed by the company's new owners after he sells it.
58	11	"Citrus Soda Stars"	July 21, 2024 (2024-07-21)	N/A
The development of two citrus-flavored soda brands, 7 Up and Mountain Dew, as a counterattack against the cola products offered by the Coca-Cola and Pepsi companies that dominate the soft drink industry in the early 20th century.
59	12	"Burger Empire: The Ray Kroc Story"	July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28)	N/A
The career of Ray Kroc is presented, chronicling his purchase of a small hamburger restaurant company in California and efforts to grow it into the worldwide McDonald's fast food chain through franchising and product/kitchen innovation.

Season 6 (2025)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date	Viewers (millions)
60	1	"Tortilla Takeover"	February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23)	N/A
The developments of bottled salsa by Pace Foods and of the Frito-Lay tortilla chip brands Doritos and Tostitos are presented, culminating in the introduction of chips and salsa to the American public.
61	2	"Movie Theatre Munchies"	March 2, 2025 (2025-03-02)	N/A
Two new entrants into the candy business, and a movie theater employee who sees a future in selling snacks at entertainment venues, give rise to the modern theater concession stand and some of the world's best-known candy brands sold there, including Milk Duds, Sno-Caps, Raisinets, and Goobers.
62	3	"Baking Chocolate Chip History"	March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09)	N/A
In the 1930s, inn owner Ruth Graves Wakefield devises a chocolate chip cookie recipe using Nestlé chocolate that has far-reaching effects on herself, the company, and both the snack food and baking supply industries.
63	4	"Empire of Convenience"	March 16, 2025 (2025-03-16)	N/A
The development of the modern convenience store is presented, with a focus on the founding of 7-Eleven and its distinctive products such as the Slurpee slush drink and Big Gulp beverage line.
64	5	"Legends of the Mall"	March 23, 2025 (2025-03-23)	N/A
Three companies – Panda Express, Cinnabon, and Auntie Anne's – bring new life to the shopping mall food court by adapting their recipes and marketing methods to attract and quickly serve large numbers of customers.
65	6	"Coffee: A Brewed Awakening"	March 30, 2025 (2025-03-30)	N/A
Starting in the 1850s, advances in coffee roasting, grinding, and preparation touch off a series of revolutions in the American industry for the beverage, with brands such as Folgers, Maxwell House, Mr. Coffee, Starbucks, and Keurig vying for position in it.
66	7	"A Box of Chocolates"	April 13, 2025 (2025-04-13)	N/A
The founding of Whitman's and Russell Stover Candies is presented, focusing on their strategies to distinguish their high-quality chocolates from those of their mass-market competitors and the development of the chocolate sampler box. In the process, Russell Stover plays a role in the creation of the Eskimo Pie ice cream bar, and Whitman's use of coconut inspires the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company to market the Mounds candy bar.
67	8	"Beer Necessities"	April 20, 2025 (2025-04-20)	N/A
After taking charge of a brewery in the late 19th century that will eventually become Anheuser-Busch, Adolphus Busch creates its flagship Budweiser brand and a nationwide market for it through new methods of brewing, packaging, transporting, and marketing beer. Note: Footage from the 2022 History miniseries The Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America was reused for this episode.
68	9	"Asian Food Invasion"	April 27, 2025 (2025-04-27)	N/A
Momofuku Ando and his company Nissin Foods develop instant ramen and introduce it to the United States as Cup Noodles. Cecilia Chiang brings authentic Mandarin cuisine to San Francisco; decades later, her son Philip Chiang and restaurateur Paul Fleming found the P. F. Chang's restaurant chain.
69	10	"You Don't Know Jack"	May 4, 2025 (2025-05-04)	N/A
After the Civil War, distiller Jack Daniel strives to create and market a high-quality whiskey, leading to the founding of his namesake brand and setting the stage for its struggles to survive in the face of the temperance and prohibition movements. Note: Footage from The Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America was reused for this episode.

Production

Photo of the Blimpie in North Bergen, New Jersey, which was used in the series' third-season premiere

In March 2019, the series was green-lit.^[50] In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.^[51][52] Yoshi Stone is the series' showrunner.^[53] Along with Stone, Kim Woodard, Greg Henry, and Isaac Holub executive produce for Lucky 8. Jim Pasquarella and Mary E. Donahue executive produce for the History Channel.^[54][51]

Reception

The first season garnered a total of 18.8 million viewers.^[55][51]

Podcast

In February 2021, the History Channel partnered with Ozy Media to launch a podcast of the same name.^[56] The first episode premiered on February 4, 2021.^[57]

The Food That Built America Snack Sized

In 2021, the producers of The Food That Built America created a new series called The Food That Built America Snack Sized by reediting some episodes to approximately half of the original size through the elimination of food historian commentary and some minor scenes to make smaller size episodes with a faster pace.^[58]