Stouffer's Frozen Dinners Have A Secret Restaurant Past

Having microwave-friendly meals on hand can be a great way to make meal prep more manageable, allowing you to enjoy a quick and easy dinner without cooking or paying for takeout. If you often purchase frozen foods, chances are you've enjoyed a Stouffer's meal at some point. The brand sells a wide range of frozen foods, including macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and French bread pizzas. Stouffer's even offers low-calorie meals under the Lean Cuisine brand and some plant-based options to appeal to vegetarian and vegan customers.

But before you could find Stouffer's frozen meals in grocery stores, the brand served them in person at restaurants nationwide. In 1924, Mahala and Abraham Stouffer opened "Stouffer Lunch" in Cleveland, Ohio. The couple had previously sold buttermilk and crackers in the city but decided to expand the business to serve sandwiches and Dutch apple pie. The company opened a second location in Detroit, Michigan, in 1926, and more restaurants around the country soon followed.

The restaurant chain's success allowed the company to expand even further. Several restaurant locations were at the top of skyscraper buildings in major cities. The New York location, called Top of the Sixes, reportedly served 10 million meals by 1973. These upscale restaurants were meant to attract tourists by allowing them to dine on fine foods while enjoying a scenic view of the city.

Stouffer's even briefly entered the hotel game and opened the Anacapri Inn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1960. The company later opened Stouffer's Inn on the Square in Cleveland and the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. At peak popularity, the brand operated 40 resorts and hotels.

By 1990, 68 restaurants were operating under the Stouffer's name. However, the company's restaurant success evidently wasn't enough to keep them open. By 1992, Stouffer's began selling the restaurants and hotels to other management. The company had decided to stay in the food game but wanted to focus on selling frozen entrées instead.

Stouffer's began mass-producing frozen meals in 1954 after finding success with serving meals in restaurants. However, the frozen food endeavor started as far back as 1946, when customers reportedly requested meals they could easily reheat.

By the 1960s, you could find boxed meals in plenty of supermarkets. The original meals were largely inspired by foods found on the restaurants' menus: corn soufflé, Salisbury steak, and macaroni and cheese. Today, the company has expanded to offer a vast range of other options.

After Nestle purchased the company in 1973, production and distribution of the meals ramped up. In 1981, the Lean Cuisine line launched, advertising great-tasting meals at under 300 calories each. The decision to close down the restaurants to pursue frozen foods proved beneficial for the brand. By 2004, Stouffer's frozen meals were the top-selling products in the category.

Apollo 11 astronauts even ate the meals after returning to Earth. Today, Stouffer's branded frozen meals are in most major supermarkets, bearing both the Lean Cuisine and the classic Stouffer's name.