About Us
Today, salad lovers can enjoy dozens of delicious Wish-Bone® dressings with the salads they love to create. But the Wish-Bone® Story started almost 60 years ago thanks to a single recipe for Italian dressing and an ingenious American soldier.
In 1945, just after World War II, Phillip Sollomi, an ex-G.I., opened a family-style chicken restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri and decided to name his place, "The Wish-Bone®."
Dressed For Success
Phil's restaurant was an immediate success, but in 1948, he decided the place was missing a certain...kick. He decided to ask his mother for the spicy salad dressing recipe she brought from her native Sicily. He thought his customers might like it. Boy, did they!
Customers at "The Wish-Bone®" Restaurant went wild for the dressing and demanded bottles to take home. Phil eventually had to begin mixing the dressing in a 50 gallon drum while his mother happily applied labels declaring: "The Kansas City Wish-Bone® Famous Italian-Style Dressing."
Wish-Bone® Makes A Name
The fame of Wish-Bone® Italian spread throughout the heartland.In 1957, Phil decided to sell the business to Lipton. We still care about what Phil and his mom did: the best ingredients, the original recipe, and the best food. And to this day, we still make our "famous" dressings in Kansas City, Missouri.
Today, salad lovers can enjoy dozens of delicious Wish-Bone® dressings with the salads they love to create. But the Wish-Bone® Story started almost 60 years ago thanks to a single recipe for Italian dressing and an ingenious American soldier.
In 1945, just after World War II, Phillip Sollomi, an ex-G.I., opened a family-style chicken restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri and decided to name his place, "The Wish-Bone®."
Dressed For Success
Phil's restaurant was an immediate success, but in 1948, he decided the place was missing a certain...kick. He decided to ask his mother for the spicy salad dressing recipe she brought from her native Sicily. He thought his customers might like it. Boy, did they!
Customers at "The Wish-Bone®" Restaurant went wild for the dressing and demanded bottles to take home. Phil eventually had to begin mixing the dressing in a 50 gallon drum while his mother happily applied labels declaring: "The Kansas City Wish-Bone® Famous Italian-Style Dressing."
Wish-Bone® Makes A Name
The fame of Wish-Bone® Italian spread throughout the heartland.In 1957, Phil decided to sell the business to Lipton. We still care about what Phil and his mom did: the best ingredients, the original recipe, and the best food. And to this day, we still make our "famous" dressings in Kansas City, Missouri.
Timeline
1950 The Wish-Bone ® restaurant opens in Kansas City with Italian Dressing as one of their specialties
1958 TJ Lipton purchases the Wish-Bone ® business from Phil Sollomi
1960s The Wish-Bone ® brand expands geographically
1970 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing becomes the #1 brand of Italian dressing - a position it has maintained ever since
1980s Wish-Bone ® Lite line introduced
1995 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing begins using the "World's Most Colorful Taste" tagline
1998 The "Marinating 1-2-3" television campaign is launched
1999 The Vinaigrettes line is launched nationally
2000 The Just 2 Good! ® line of products is launched
2002 Dressing & Marinade line is launched
2003 The Ranch-Up! ® line is launched as popularity of Ranch dressings grows
2004 Ranch-Up! ® Light is launched
2006 Wish-Bone ® Salad Spritzers ® Vinaigrette Dressings line of sprayable salad dressings are launched
2006 Light Vinaigrettes are introduced to the world
2007 4 new Salad Spritzers ® flavors are launched
2008 Wish-Bone ® Bountifuls ® is launched with 4 new flavors, and 2 new Salad Spritzers ® flavors are launched
2009 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing begins using the “Get More from Your Salad” tagline and communicating “Oils like those in Wish-Bone help better absorb vitamins A&E from salad vs. salad without dressing.”
2011 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing launches a more eco-friendly bottle that uses up to 20% less plastic than the previous bottle.
2011 High fructose corn syrup is removed from the core line of Wish-Bone ® dressings.
2012 Three bold-tasting Ranches are launched, including Wish-Bone ® Buffalo Ranch made with Frank’s ® RedHot ® sauce. (Frank’s ® RedHot ® is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser)
1950 The Wish-Bone ® restaurant opens in Kansas City with Italian Dressing as one of their specialties
1958 TJ Lipton purchases the Wish-Bone ® business from Phil Sollomi
1960s The Wish-Bone ® brand expands geographically
1970 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing becomes the #1 brand of Italian dressing - a position it has maintained ever since
1980s Wish-Bone ® Lite line introduced
1995 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing begins using the "World's Most Colorful Taste" tagline
1998 The "Marinating 1-2-3" television campaign is launched
1999 The Vinaigrettes line is launched nationally
2000 The Just 2 Good! ® line of products is launched
2002 Dressing & Marinade line is launched
2003 The Ranch-Up! ® line is launched as popularity of Ranch dressings grows
2004 Ranch-Up! ® Light is launched
2006 Wish-Bone ® Salad Spritzers ® Vinaigrette Dressings line of sprayable salad dressings are launched
2006 Light Vinaigrettes are introduced to the world
2007 4 new Salad Spritzers ® flavors are launched
2008 Wish-Bone ® Bountifuls ® is launched with 4 new flavors, and 2 new Salad Spritzers ® flavors are launched
2009 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing begins using the “Get More from Your Salad” tagline and communicating “Oils like those in Wish-Bone help better absorb vitamins A&E from salad vs. salad without dressing.”
2011 Wish-Bone ® Salad Dressing launches a more eco-friendly bottle that uses up to 20% less plastic than the previous bottle.
2011 High fructose corn syrup is removed from the core line of Wish-Bone ® dressings.
2012 Three bold-tasting Ranches are launched, including Wish-Bone ® Buffalo Ranch made with Frank’s ® RedHot ® sauce. (Frank’s ® RedHot ® is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser)