The Rise of Lays
Creative solutions, creative results.
Timeline
The First Recipe
The first recorded recipe for Potatoes fried in Slices or Shavings was made in a published British cookbook.
12/13/1822Saratoga Springs Legend with George Crum
There was a myth going around that the first potato chips were actually made by a chef in Saratoga Springs, New York. The story is said to have involved a customer who ordered French Fries and sent them back because he argued they were cut too thick. He asked the chef (George Crum) repeatedly to be cut thinner, thus causing the chef to make what we now know as potato chips in retaliation. However, this story was proven to be false.
12/13/1853Herman Lay
Herman Lay was making potato chips, but didn't have a restaurant or store to market them, so he began selling what we now know as "Lays Potato Chips" out of the trunk of his car.
12/13/1920The First Bag
A woman named Laura Scudder created the first type of chip bag, out of wax paper. She would use the wax paper to hold the chips and then she would hand iron the side so it created a seal. She then worked with Herman Lay so the chips he was selling were in these individual bags.
12/13/1926Mass Production
Herman Lay began mass producing potato chips. They became known as the first major chip brand, although there are other companies who remained small branded and call themselves the "oldest" like Ohio-based Mikesell's Potato Chip Company, founded in 1910.
12/13/1938Flavors
Beginning in 1950, Joe "Spud" Murphy, the owner of an Irish chip company called Tayto started making flavors to sell in stores in individual bags. The first two flavors of potato chips were onion and cheese, and salt and vinegar (my favorite!)
12/13/1950Slogan
The advertising company Young & Rubicam made the slogan "Betcha Can't Eat Just One!" referring tot their irresistible chips which is now a famous Lays slogan, known around the world.
12/12/1968ZeroCal Potato Chips
Entrepreneur Bailee Brown releases a new design for zero calorie potato chips that are not negative for health.
12/13/2050Description
Hook/Central Idea: Did you know that the exact history of how the potato chip was made is more mystery than concrete? There are many legends about how potato chips were made, but the point is they are now a staple in American food and grocery stores.
History: The first known potato chip recipe (for slicing potatoes super thin and then frying them in oil) dates back to the 1800's. During this time many people were eating french fries also made from potatoes, so it wasn't a stretch to cut them thinner and make a snack out of them. After a legend from Saratoga Springs about a chef using potato chips to thwart an angry customer, an entrepreneur named Herman Lay decided he'd use this new idea to start his business. Soon he teamed up with Laura Scudder who made the first chip bags out of wax paper. Lay used these to begin selling chips to customers out of the trunk of his car. Once his business took off, he purchased a small company/factory and the rest is history. It wasn't until 25 years later that the first flavored potato chips were introduced to the public.
Present Day: Now, there is pretty much every flavor combination imaginable. People are even making chips out of pita bread, bagels, and kale. Veggie straws exist as a healthy alternative to fried potato chips. Even through these developments, the picture or look of the potato chip has remained the same.
Closing sentence: But what will be in store for the future of potato chips? Stay tuned..
Future Concept/Innovation
Hook Shark Tank Pitch (Central Idea!): Best said by Herman Lays' advertising company, when it comes to potato chips... "Betcha can't eat just one!" The problem with this is, even though chips are undeniably delicious, they aren't exactly healthy, and consuming large amounts of the salty product can wreak havoc on our bodies and our health.
Because of this, I, Bailee Brown, have decided to invent a potato chip that's less harmful than the traditional snack so we can take our second, third, and 24th chip without worrying about our caloric intake.
Description (from question 2): In 2050, I hope to make 0 calorie chips available. Beginning in 2030 I plan on working with scientists to create a substance that is like a potato but without the negative parts of being a carbohydrate. I think the best way to keep the calories out would also be to air fry the substances so that they keep the potato chip shape and texture, but don’t have the negative cholesterol that normal deep frying would give. Once I get the correct texture and look, then I can experiment with flavorings and seasonings that have the least amount of calories. Hopefully by 2040, we can start introducing new flavors of our healthier potato chips.
Production (from question 4): I plan on using some of the lays factories that are already in production to introduce my concept. These factories are located throughout the US and use potatoes mostly grown in Canada. The largest one is a manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, that turns about 500,000 potatoes into potato chips every day. https://www.foodprocessing-technology.com/projects/pepsico-frito-lay/ I hope to allow anyone who needs a job to work at these factories and to have no requirements when it comes to my employees. They will be paid a fair wage, have contracts, and paid holidays with rotating schedules so the chips can remain in production. The biggest potential issue I can expect from our experimentation is about the actual material of the potato chip and how to design a new substance that still has the same crispy, crunchy texture.
Distribution (from question 5): With drones, one way Frito-Lay can cut out gas mileage by shipping their products to stores from their warehouses without using trucks and fossil fuels. With the use of drones, fewer storage facilities will be needed because traffic and transportation logistics will be a non-issue when the products can fly over traffic. When it comes to customer interaction, Frito-Lay will continue to sell their products in stores, however, with drones Frito-Lay will be able to deliver your tasty snacks right to your front door. Most grocery stores and gas station carry a wide range of Frito Lay products. One drawback to this shipping/delivery method is that drones aren’t large and won’t be able to carry as many different flavors of chips that you might find in a store, so the strategically placed warehouses will still need to be used.
Capital (from question 6): In regards to supplies, I will choose to use potatoes that were grown in the US rather than Canada, and have outlined future distribution methods above. Frito Lay is a part of the larger company PepsiCo. They are publicly traded, and will continue to be publicly traded as I prepare my innovation. This will allow the general public and anyone who owns stocks in the company to continue to receive profits from those investments.
Consumption (from question 7): I want everyone of all age groups to be a market for potato chips as they’ll be 0 calorie, so health conscious adults won’t have to worry about their health as much. They’ll also still be affordable so people of different groups will be able to purchase them. I will continue to continue to allow several brands of chips to be made as it creates a better market for price comparisons. If every company merged into one, then one company could decide the prices for all the chips which wouldn’t be fair. My personal brand will be called LowCal (like SoCal). I will be a smaller company owned by Lays (FritoLay) so I can use all their factories and distribution trucks and methods to produce the most chips as possible.
In terms of advertising, I’d begin by giving all the Amazon Alexas and google homes ads to read in the middle of people talking about chips. I’d also tap into the smart tv’s and whatever other smart equipment there is to show slideshow picture of my potato chips so I can start planting the idea in people’s minds. Then I’d infiltrate all the advertising systems for local grocery stores and gas stations. This is a solution to the issue of advertising to people who aren't on the internet (by still having ads in stores) and for people who don't leave their houses (by having ads in the AI gadgets in their homes.)
When it comes to pricing, unfortunately, the price for my potato chips will have to go up because of the science involved in making them. It won’t be as simple as cutting potatoes and deep frying them, and I will have to use lasers to make them to avoid the fat and calories of frying in oil. I estimate that the chips will cost around $6 - $10 a bag due to the production costs and trying to use ethical labor. (it’d be cheaper if I chose to have the factories in China but I want to source work locally and pay fair wages.) I'm hoping that as science continues developing new food - related ideas, the new materials will become more readily available and won't cost as much.
Entrepreneurship
Production
Distribution
Distribution History
How it used to be Central idea: There have been a lot of advancements in the way that companies, factories, and entrepreneurs began selling their products. This statement rings true even for the great chip master, Herman Lay.
Distribution Present
How it is now Central Idea: Frito Lay is now known as one of the largest potato chip companies in the world. We see their items in grocery stores, but many of us never stop to question how they got there, or what would happen if the distribution of these products suddenly just quit.
Capital
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