Omaha Exploration

I rediscovered this statue of Chef Hector Boyardee on a recent walk around Heartland of America Park. The statue is actually away from the trail and on the campus of Conagra Foods next door.

Born in Italy in 1898 as Ettore Boiardi, he worked as a chef by the time he was 11. At 16 he worked in restaurants in Paris and London. He left for the U.S. in 1914 – one week before war broke out across Europe – arriving through Ellis Island.

He found work at the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City where he quickly rose through the ranks. By the end of World War I he was supervising the welcome home meal for veterans that President Woodrow Wilson hosted at the White House.

Chef started his own restaurant in Cleveland called Il Giardino d’Italia, or “the Garden of Italy.” His spaghetti sauce in particular was a hit and soon he began filling old milk bottles with it and selling it.

He began canning his sauce in 1927 and selling it in grocery stores. Within a year, it was being sold across the country at which point he and his brothers Mario and Paul formed a new company to meet the demand. They sold a pasta meal kit that included dry spaghetti, a jar of sauce, and a small container of Parmesan cheese. It proved so popular that the company became the largest importer of parmesan cheese in the country.

Within a decade, the chef was overseeing a massive operation that included farms growing tomatoes and a factory churning out products. He opened a factory in Milton, PA and at some point changed his name from Ettore Boairdi to Hector Boyardee in order to reach as many U.S. consumers as possible.

During World War II he provided rations for the Allied troops and later received a Gold Star in recognition for his contributions. After the war he sold the business to American Home Food Products in 1946. The chef passed away in 1985 and his company and it’s parent International Home Foods was acquired by Conagra in 2000.

The statue in Omaha was sculpted by John Lajba in 2011. It moved to its current location at 707 Conagra Drive outside the Charles M. “Mike” Harper Product Development Center in 2017. It is accessible from the park trail.

Content written by Omaha Exploration. Feel free to leave a comment or to let me know if there’s something you want me to explore. Until then, keep exploring!

Omaha Exploration is sponsored by @Rockbrook Mortgage Inc.

Click here to learn about opportunities to sponsor Omaha Exploration!

More pictures

Contact me to learn more about M4K!