The History of Slim Jims

Founder Adolph Levis started off selling condiments and pickled meats to bars during the Great Depression. He soon noticed that patrons preferred snacking on pepperoni logs at the bar, but they were difficult to keep in stock due to a long curing time and were often undignified to eat. Levis decided to improve the situation and partnered with his brother-in-law, Joseph Cherry, and a meat packer to create a smaller, less messy, and more convenient pepperoni snack. The result? A slim, easy-to-eat stick of spiced meat that could be cured in just 3 months. Originally, the snacks were kept behind the bar in small vats of vinegar to keep them fresh. They were reportedly advertised as "less than a meal and more than a snack" and were originally given the name “Penn Rose” after Levis’ home state and his wife’s name, but the moniker was soon changed to “Slim Jim” for marketing purposes. The name highlighted the product’s attributes and allowed Levis and his brother-in-law to advertise using the character of Slim Jim, an elegant, top-hat-wearing fellow. Slim Jims became so popular that Levis and Cherry were able to open their own company, Cherry-Levis Food Products. In the middle of the 20th century, they began to package Slim Jims in individual cellophane wrappers. This allowed the product to be sold in convenience stores and supermarkets. Additionally, the change made the snacks much more portable, and they quickly became a road trip staple in America’s increasingly car-focused culture. The company was sold to General Mills in 1967 and then acquired by Conagra Foods in 1998. Although there are many alternatives to Slim Jims available today, the original product remains popular and is now available in many different flavors.