La Choy
| Company type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Founder | Ilhan New, Wallace J. "Wally" Smith |
| Fate | Acquired by Beatrice Creamery Co. in 1943; acquired by ConAgra Foods in 1990 |
| Headquarters | Archbold, Ohio (since 1942) , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Canned and packaged ingredients associated with American Chinese cuisine |
| Parent | ConAgra Foods |
La Choy (presented as La Choy 東) represents a line of canned and packaged ingredients associated with American Chinese cuisine. The brand became part of ConAgra Foods in 1990 after being acquired from Beatrice Foods during the breakup orchestrated by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and it continues to be owned by ConAgra.
Early history
La Choy was established in 1922 by Dr. Ilhan New—who would later found South Korea’s Yuhan Corporation—and Wallace J. "Wally" Smith, a University of Michigan alumnus. Their initial offering consisted of canned mung bean sprouts, which were sold through Smith’s grocery store located in Detroit.
Dr. New departed the enterprise in 1930, and Smith passed away in 1937. Nevertheless, by the end of the 1930s, the company had broadened its product selection to feature soy sauce, subgum, kumquats, water chestnuts, brown sauce, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles.
Responding to increasing American enthusiasm for East Asian flavors, La Choy inaugurated its first manufacturing plant in Detroit in 1937, encompassing 60,000 square feet dedicated to production.
To cut expenses during World War II, the company moved approximately 90 miles away to Archbold, Ohio, in 1942. The Detroit facility was sold to the federal government for use in munitions manufacturing, which financed this relocation. In 1943, ownership transferred when Beatrice Creamery Co. acquired La Choy Food Products.
On June 23, 1957, three executives from Archbold participated as contestants on the television program What's My Line, cleverly using their Irish last names to challenge the panelists.
Marketing and advertising
During the 1970s, La Choy became known for a memorable advertising jingle that proclaimed "LaChoy makes Chinese food swing American."
Muppets
In the early stages of his career, Jim Henson produced commercials between 1965 and 1967 featuring Delbert the La Choy Dragon—a full-bodied Muppet performed by Frank Oz and voiced by Henson himself. The character promoted the brand with the tagline "quick cooked in dragon fire."
Delbert was later accompanied by Mert, a shy character performed by Henson. Notably, Delbert was one of the few full-bodied Muppet roles undertaken by Oz, who generally avoided costume performances.
See also
- Mein gon (crispy chow mein noodles)
- Chop suey
- Chow mein sandwich