The Origins Of Eggo Have Nothing To Do With Waffles

According to The New York Times, Eggo was the first frozen waffle to hit the freezer aisle. And ever since it debuted in 1953, this American icon has been a pillar of support for those who want a quick and tasty breakfast. So it's obvious this ready-to-eat treat is one of the most influential products to come out of the company that Kellogg's would eventually acquire in the 1970s, per Kellogg's. However, when the Eggo cooperation first opened its doors, it had no plans to revolutionize the breakfasts of countless children.

In fact, Atlas Obscura reports that when the Dorsa brothers agreed to open a business together at the beginning of the Great Depression, they were skipping out on breakfast altogether. Before Eggo created the frozen waffles that would become a small screen star in "Stranger Things" and inspire its very own holiday egg nog, the company was working on lunch.

According to Atlas Obscura, the Dorsa boys formulated and sold their own brand of mayonnaise. And, as the company's name implies, it turns out the three brothers were dedicated to all things egg-cellent. Per Mental Floss, the trio advertised that their mayo was made with fresh eggs plucked straight off of ranches and became a very popular product in their hometown of San Jose, California. However, the Eggo company wasn't content with the success of its creamy mayo.

The three brothers soon started trying their hand at making and selling products like potato chips, says Mental Floss. But, most importantly, they started producing a waffle mix that only needed milk, which made them known as inventive breakfast engineers, per Kellogg's. But if this company did not start off with its flagship frozen waffles, then why and when did it start creating the Eggos we simply cannot L'Ego?

According to Atlas Obscura, in the 1950s, America's culinary scene was entering the era of frozen food. While Eggo had been successful for two decades with its mayo, potato chips, and waffle mix, the Dorsa brothers recognized they were facing a new frontier. And they also recognized that a new frontier called for new innovation.

As Mental Floss notes, after lamenting about how taxing it can be to bake up waffles in the morning, the brothers casually decided to create one of the most important inventions in weekday breakfast history — frozen waffles. 

While the frozen waffles craze wouldn't catch on until after Kellogg's bought out Eggo in the 1970s, per Kellogg's, Eggo would go on to become one of the U.S.'s most recognizable store-bought breakfast foods. But just know that without the now-extinct Eggo mayonnaise, you wouldn't have an easy-to-eat waffle on your plate.