The History of Kit Kat Bars

Kit Kat bars are loved across the world. They were invented by the British confection company Rowntree’s in the 1930s. Originally called Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp, the name was changed to Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937; the new name was taken from a popular political meeting club that was active in 1700s London. In 1970, Hershey’s purchased the rights to produce and sell the candy in the United States (Rowntree’s was purchased by Nestlé in 1988). The iconic slogan “Gimme a Break” was introduced around the same time, in 1986. Some of their previous slogans were: “Tastes so good, you’ll roar” and “That’s what you want.” The first new flavor to be introduced was orange; it debuted in the United Kingdom in 1996. Since 2000, over 200 flavors have been introduced in Japan, where the bars are considered good luck due to the similarity of the name Kit Kat to the Japanese phrase “kitto katsu,” which means “surely win.” Japanese Kit Kat flavors include ginger ale, soy sauce, green tea, banana, and crème brûlée.