Plot Synopsis

THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA is a docuseries that chronicles stories of innovation and rivalries behind food industry tycoons Milton Hershey, John and Will Kellogg, Henry Heinz, C.W. Post, the McDonald brothers and more. Many people know the products, but few know the stories of everlasting grit and determination that made these names the household brands that America knows and loves. Each two-hour episode tells the stories of the birth of iconic American companies through the point of view of the problem-solving, system-building, money-making entrepreneurs who founded them. It is a story of American innovation and perseverance. Delving deep into the lives of those who would eventually revolutionize food and change the culinary landscape of America forever, the series highlights their product inspiration alongside their numerous trials, triumphs and tribulations. Viewers will also receive contributing insights and expert commentary from celebrity chefs, food writers, and successful entrepreneurs including Adam Richman, Buddy Valastro, Padma Lakshmi, Gail Simmons and many more. Season 1 of THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA premiered on three consecutive nights from 9-11pm ET/PT, beginning Sunday, August 11 through Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

On Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT, Season 2 of THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA officially debuted on History Channel. The 15-episode second season tells the fascinating history behind the titans who fought their way to the top of the food chain and bites into the rivalries between some of food's biggest and most beloved brands such as Pizza Hut, Oreo, Kraft, McDonalds, Cheetos and more. The fifteen-episode series includes expert commentary from celebrity chefs, food writers, and entrepreneurs such as Adam Richman, Marcus Samuelsson and Rza. In the season opener, "The Chocolate Rush," Milton Hershey is king of the chocolate business in 1919, but everything changes when sugar prices drop in a post-WWI era. A rush of competitors spring up, including his former employee HB Reese. But Reese isn't Hershey's only rival when a brilliant marketer comes up with two of the most iconic candy bars in history. Five days earlier -- on Tuesday, February 9 -- at 10pm ET/PT, History Channel premiered a sneak-peek episode of THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA's second season. In "Pizza Wars," the stories of the first franchises who boldly introduced pizza to America -- Pizza Hut and Dominos. In the 1950s, two enterprising brothers from Wichita, Kansas aim to build their restaurant, Pizza Hut, into a franchise empire by boldy introducing America to a little-known Italian dish: pizza. Americans soon fall in love with their signature, thin-crust pizza, but unchecked growth and underdog rival, Domino's threatens to derail their first-of-its-kind pizza franchise juggernaut.

Season 3 of THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA premiered on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT on History Channel. The new season shares the origin stories of a new group of bold pioneers behind America's most iconic food empires such as Orville Redenbacher, Ettore "Chef" Boiardi, Wally Amos, Debbi Fields and Tom Carvel among others. Before these brands became household names, they came from brilliant -- sometimes ruthless -- visionaries who revolutionized food and changed the culinary landscape of America forever. In the season opener, "Submarine Warfare," High School friends see an alternative to fast food with the "submarine" sandwich. But they are quickly met with the fierce competition of a new submarine joint, started by a physicist, that is trying to perfect the art of the franchise, and will go on to be the biggest restaurant chain in the world.

THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA returned for its fourth season on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT on History Channel. In the season opener, "Breakfast That Pops," two heavy hitting cereal rivals duke it out for breakfast dominance. Competition heats up when an idea is stolen, beaten to the market, and is a runaway success. The ensuing battle transforms the breakfast landscape from a labor intensive meal at the table, to a meal of convenience on the go. Additional Season 4 products and brands include Chick-Fil-A, Kool-Aid, buffalo wings, Cat Chow, Starbucks, Smirnoff, and more.
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A fifth helping of THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA debuted on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT on History Channel. The season opener, "All American Marinara," asks viewers to imagine a world where marinara sauce isn't part of the American palate. That was true nearly sixty years ago, when food conglomerate Campbells kickstarts what will become an Italian American food revolution, launching Spaghetti-O's and then Prego and along the way, transforming everything from home cooking to casual dining. Additional Season 5 episodes feature ice cream, soda, cake, penny candy, and more.