Today and every March 14th, we celebrate National Potato Chip Day.

Did you know that Detroit is the potato chip capital of the world?  It’s true, based on the per capita consumption of America’s favorite snack food.  Detroit is also the manufacturing home of the world’s best tasting chips……Better Made.  The company has been producing their chips in the city since 1930.

Cross and Peters company was founded on August 1st, 1930. The company was named after the founders’ first names, Cross and Peter. Both set goals to make a better potato chip hence the brand name, Better Made Potato Chips. In 1934, the company was incorporated by the founders, the late Peter Cipriano and the late Cross Moceri.

Actually, potato chips were discovered quite by accident.  In the summer of 1853, Native American George Crum was employed as a chef at an elegant resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. One dinner guest found Crum’s French fries too thick for his liking and rejected the order. Crum decided to rile the guest by producing fries too thin and crisp to skewer with a fork. The plan backfired. The guest was ecstatic over the browned, paper-thin potatoes, and other diners began requesting Crum’s potato chips

If you ever get a chance to tour the Better Made factory downtown…..do it!  Take a look at the video I shot of the process on a recent visit to the factory.