Amid the Great Depression, Grant Leslie, a St. Louis, Missouri, salesman, came up with the ingenious idea of selling packaged macaroni pasta alongside cheese. The meal itself was cheap yet palatable and nourishing. So, Leslie went about attaching packets of grated cheese to boxes of pasta, which quickly became a huge hit.
In 1937, Kraft took inspiration from Leslie and introduced its own brand of boxed macaroni and cheese. Priced at less than 20 cents per box, Kraft’s newfound, nonperishable product was revered as an affordable option for Americans looking to feed their families. Kraft sold over 8 million boxes in just one year and has since enjoyed many successes — both during times of hardship and prosperity.
