THE
WISH-BONE®
STORY
Today’s salad lovers enjoy a rich variety of delicious Wish-Bone® dressings, marinades and mixes. But the Wish-Bone® story started with just a single Italian recipe some 60 years ago. In 1945, returning World War II veteran Phillip Sollomi opened a family-style chicken restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri. “The Wish-Bone®” was open for business.
The restaurant was an immediate success, but it was in 1948 that the Wish-Bone found its true calling. That year, Phil debuted his mother’s then-little-known salad dressing from a recipe brought from her native Sicily.
Customers fell in love right there. As demand grew, Phil began mixing the dressing in a 50-gallon drum, bottling it up as fast as they could pour it. But not before his mother would slap on its unmistakable label:
“THE KANSAS CITY WISH-BONE® FAMOUS ITALIAN-STYLE DRESSING.”
Word of Wish-Bone® Italian spread throughout the heartland. And in 1957, Phil sold the business to Lipton. But his family’s tradition of authentic ingredients and exceptional flavor remains as alive as ever.
TIMELINE
1945
The Wish-Bone® restaurant opens in Kansas City
1948
The classic Wish-Bone® Italian dressing is added to the menu and is an instant hit
1958
TJ Lipton purchases the Wish-Bone® business from Phil Sollomi
1960
The Wish-Bone® brand expands geographically
1970
Wish-Bone® Salad Dressing becomes the #1 brand of Italian dressing—a position it has maintained ever since
1980s
The Wish-Bone® Lite line is introduced
1995
Wish-Bone® Salad Dressing begins using the “World’s Most Colorful Taste” tagline
1998
The “Marinating 1-2-3” television campaign is launched
1999
The Vinaigrettes line is launched nationally
2002
The Dressing & Marinade line is launched
2006
Light Vinaigrettes are introduced to the world
2011
Wish-Bone® Salad Dressing launches a more eco-friendly bottle that uses up to 20% less plastic than the previous bottle
2011
High fructose corn syrup is removed from the core line of Wish-Bone® dressings
2012
Three bold-tasting Ranches are launched, including Wish-Bone® Buffalo Ranch
