# Zapp's

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zapp's
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zapp's.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapp's
> Source revision: 1354073737
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Potato chip brand

Zapp's Type Subsidiary Industry Food Founder Ron Zappe Parent Utz Quality Foods

**Zapp's** is a brand of [potato chip](/source/Potato_chip) made in the [United States](/source/United_States). The chips are [kettle-cooked](/source/Kettle_cooked) in [peanut oil](/source/Peanut_oil) (instead of [vegetable oil](/source/Vegetable_oil), which many other companies use), except for the Bourbon St. Smokey Sweet flavor which are 'thin & crispy'. Zapp's market themselves with their [Cajun](/source/Cajun) heritage,[1] using names such as "Spicy Cajun Crawtator", "Sour Cream and Creole Onion" and "Cajun Dill Gator-tators". Others, in addition to the "Regular Flavored" include "Hotter 'N Hot Jalapeño",[2] "Mesquite BBQ" and "Voodoo" chip flavors. They have also marketed numerous chips such as a limited edition [Mardi Gras](/source/Mardi_Gras) chip.

## History

### Founding

The company was founded by Ron Zappe, who graduated from [Texas A&M University](/source/Texas_A%26M_University) with a degree in industrial engineering and became a distributor of pumps and other oil-field equipment. His four companies went bankrupt during the [1980s oil bust](/source/1980s_oil_glut); he moved from Houston to Louisiana and started a potato chip business.[3] (Zappe later received national attention for his [1988](/source/1988_United_States_presidential_election) campaign appearance on behalf of Republican vice presidential candidate [Dan Quayle](/source/Dan_Quayle), crediting a jobs program co-created by Quayle with enabling him to start his factory in Gramercy.[4][5]) Zappe's first creation, the Cajun Crawtator, was introduced in 1985 as the nation's first spicy Cajun chip. Zapp's "Tiger Tators" were the first food product licensed by [Louisiana State University](/source/Louisiana_State_University), and it also sold "[Who Dat?](/source/Who_Dat%3F)" chips in honor of the [New Orleans Saints](/source/New_Orleans_Saints). Zapp's most popular flavor is "Voodoo" which was created in 2008 by Kevin Holden, General Manager and a shareholder of the company. In 1993 Zapp's acquired the Dirty Chip Company in [Memphis, Tennessee](/source/Memphis%2C_Tennessee), which manufactures Dirty Chips brand kettle chips. In 2006 Zapp's acquired the California Chip Company in [Oxnard, California](/source/Oxnard%2C_California), which manufactures California Chips brand potato chips. Zappe appeared on *[The Oprah Winfrey Show](/source/The_Oprah_Winfrey_Show)* in 1997, and the chips were profiled in national publications such as *[People](/source/People_(magazine))* and *[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal)*.

### Death of founder, sale to Utz Quality Foods

Zappe died in [Houston, Texas](/source/Houston%2C_Texas) on June 1, 2010, at the age of 67.[6][7] In January 2011, it was reported that the company would be sold to [Utz Quality Foods](/source/Utz_Quality_Foods) of [Hanover, Pennsylvania](/source/Hanover%2C_Pennsylvania).[8] The sale to Utz was completed in April 2011. Zapp's operates as a wholly owned subsidiary and no longer manufactures at the [Gramercy, Louisiana](/source/Gramercy%2C_Louisiana), plant.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Donald J. Boudreaux, ["A chip off the energy industry block"](http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/boudreaux/s_314030.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090428114917/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/boudreaux/s_314030.html) 2009-04-28 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review](/source/Pittsburgh_Tribune-Review)*, March 17, 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lisa Belkin, [At the Nation's Table: Houston"](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/01/garden/at-the-nation-s-table-houston.html), *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)*, June 1, 1988.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Mary Fonseca, ["Cajun crunchies - Ron Zappe's potato chip business"](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1154/is_n5_v78/ai_8980531/), *Nation's Business*, May 1990.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bob Secter, ["Strategists Craft Positive Image: Quayle Campaign Turns From Survival to Offense"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-01-mn-4585-story.html), *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*, September 1, 1988.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Michael Kranish, ["Beleaguered Job Program Could Be Thorn In Quayle Camp"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121102113005/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59665289.html?dids=59665289:59665289&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+11,+1988&author=Michael+Kranish,+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=BELEAGUERED+JOB+PROGRAM+COULD+BE+THORN+IN+QUAYLE+CAMP&pqatl=google), *[Boston Globe](/source/Boston_Globe)*, September 11, 1988 (pay site).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Zapp's Potato Chips founder dies"](http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/95368104.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100603200110/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/95368104.html) 2010-06-03 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[The Advocate](/source/The_Advocate_(Louisiana))* (Baton Rouge, La.), June 1, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Anna Brown, ["Zapp's creator, owner dies at age 67"](http://www.wbrz.com/news/zapps-creator-owner-dies-at-age-67/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110723003146/http://www.wbrz.com/news/zapps-creator-owner-dies-at-age-67/) July 23, 2011, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), [WBRZ-TV](/source/WBRZ-TV), June 1, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Zapp's of Gramercy being sold to Pennsylvania company"](http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2011/01/zapps_being_sold_to_pennsylvan.html), [AP](/source/Associated_Press) in *[Times-Picayune](/source/Times-Picayune)*, January 7, 2011.

## External links

- [Zapp's.com](http://www.zapps.com)

- [Former Zapp's execs entering tortilla business](http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2013/03/08/former-zapps-execs-entering-tortilla-business)

This brand-name food or drink product–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Food-product-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AFood-product-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Food-product-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Zapp's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapp's) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapp's?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.