The History Of Raisinets Goes Back Nearly A Century

Raisinets are to movie theaters in America what popcorn is to theaters in other parts of the world. They are so intrinsically linked that it's hard to say what came first in the country (ok, not so hard — it's movie theaters in 1897). But Raisinets are almost as old and were invented just three decades later in 1927 by the historic Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company of Philadelphia, the chocolatiers behind Goobers.

Over the century (three years to go), America's love of this chewy treat has grown so much that there's even a national day celebrated every year on March 24 to honor the plump, chocolatey Raisinets. According to a statement released by Nestlé – the company Raisinets was sold to in 1984 — if you line up the number of Raisinets produced in a year, the length would go around the earth more than twice! That's how much it's in demand. Though the brand now belongs to Ferrero, Raisinets remains one of the most popular movie candies in the country.

Raisinets came three decades after the first movie theater opened in downtown Buffalo, New York. But the idea of snacks at the movies started becoming a thing during The Great Depression, almost around the same time Raisinets were gaining a toehold in America. Cinema owners needed the cash to sustain themselves, and introducing concession stands seemed like a tangible solution. Another wicked coincidence is the fact that the film "The Jazz Singer" – the first sound feature film to ever be shown in theaters — premiered the same year Raisinets entered the world. 

The series of fortunate events made Raisinets a candy destined for greatness. As the number of cinema lovers grew around the '30s and the '40s, so did the admiration for the chocolate-covered raisins. In the following decade, more reasons sprang up in support of Raisinets — one of them being fitness. Fitness culture started trending in America around the '60s, and Raisinets were one of the few snacks that could be considered a healthier option compared to its company at the snack bar. In 1971, a Goobers and Raisinets jingle further escalated its popularity. From then on, Raisinets captured the spotlight in the candy world.