Omaha Exploration

Before her salad dressing became a Nebraska staple, Dorothy Lynch was a schoolteacher who lived in relative obscurity.

Born in Cushing, Nebraska, in 1913 to Danish immigrants, Dorothy Peterson married Arthur Lynch of Plattsmouth in 1934. Nearly two decades later, while the couple was operating the American Legion Club in St. Paul, Nebraska, Dorothy created a French-style salad dressing that would change their lives. Unlike most French dressings, hers was tomato-based instead of oil-based and had a sweet and spicy flavor with a creamy texture. She began placing it on tables in the restaurant, where customers quickly chose it over store-bought alternatives. They liked it so much that many brought their own bottles and jars from home to be filled. Some even went so far as to steal it.

Noticing the popularity of the dressing, the Lynches’ 18-year-old son Neal began bottling it in the basement and delivering it to customers while his parents were away on a European vacation. Despite initial hesitation, his parents ultimately gave him permission to continue expanding the business. Neal convinced nearby grocery stores to stock it and restaurants to serve it. To make deliveries, he removed the seats from his car to create space for boxes of bottles. Before long, the family struggled to keep up with demand. According to an article in the Flatwater Free Press, by 1955, they were producing 120 bottles per day from their basement operation. Soon after, production moved out of the house and into a separate building.

In 1964, the family sold the recipe to Gordon “Mac” Hull, a recent law school graduate who saw its potential. In exchange for the use of the Dorothy Lynch name, the family received a 1 percent royalty on sales for the next 50 years. Following the acquisition, Mac formed Tasty Toppings in Columbus, Nebraska, to expand production and manufacture the condiment. In the larger facility, production began with a large batch of the secret spice blend. Tomato soup, vinegar, sugar, and other ingredients were then mixed together. After that, the oil and seasoning blend were emulsified and the final product was bottled, labeled, and packaged before shipping. The factory later expanded to nearby Duncan, while Tasty Toppings’ headquarters remained in Columbus.

As for the Lynch family, they continued to manage the Legion club for another year until 1965, at which point they built the Elks Club in Columbus followed by the Lynch Supper Club in St. Paul. Dorothy also operated beauty salons in Grand Island and St. Paul until she retired in 1972. Among Neal’s business ventures was a theater along the main strip in Branson that featured magic acts. He also formed friendships with a number of celebrities including Wayne Newton, Ed McMahon, Don King, and Robin Williams. In addition to being the CEO of Tasty Toppings, Mac would go on to become a rancher.

Dorothy Lynch passed away in 1975, followed by Arthur in 1992, Neal in 2018, and Mac in 2022. Today, Mac’s daughter serves as CEO of Tasty Toppings. More than 70 years after it was first introduced, Dorothy Lynch dressing, with its sweet and spicy blend of flavors, remains a Nebraska favorite. Beyond salads, it is used as a sauce for wings, a dipping sauce for burgers and sandwiches, a marinade, and even stirred into soups. Twenty-two employees continue producing hundreds of thousands of bottles of Dorothy Lynch each year.

By the time Dorothy Lynch passed away, her name was known across Nebraska and throughout the Midwest due to the popularity of her namesake salad dressing.

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Sources

• Omaha World-Herald archives
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40337085/dorothy-isabell-lynch
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Lynch
• https://www.dorothylynch.com/about
• The Phonograph, Small Bottling Plant Starts in Basement, Jul 13, 1955
• https://dinenebraska.com/2023/03/a-midwest-dinner-table-staple/
• https://www.simplemost.com/the-story-behind-dorothy-lynch-salad-dressing-the-popular-orange-condiment-from-nebraska/
• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nebraska/american-legion-st-paul-ne/
• The Dorothy State: The rollicking history of the neon-orange dressing that tastes like home – Flatwater Free Press