Chef Boyardee’s founder sold the brand for $6 million in 1946—Conagra has just sold it for $600 million to a private equity firm

Jul 09, 2025 396

Founded by an Italian immigrant, Chef Boyardee is emblematic of the American Dream. As a teenager, Hector Boiardi left Europe to become a top chef at a luxury New York hotel before going out on his own and eventually creating a nationwide brand. Nearly a century later, the Chef Boyardee brand has gone from a $6 million sale in 1946 to a $600 million deal today, marking a 10,000% increase in value.

You might know Chef Boyardee for being a staple across U.S. grocery store shelves or for rolling to the home of a disappointed young girl in its iconic 2000s TV ad. Even so, the American brand just made a much bigger move—thanks to its $600 million sale from Fortune 500 company Conagra Brands to Hometown Food Company, a portfolio company of Brynwood Partners, that also owns nostalgic staples like Pillsbury and Hungry Jack.

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SOURCE: https://fortune.com/

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