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History & Brand Development
1927
The brand development of Vietti products began in1927 with Pete Vietti, the son of Giuseppi Vietti. He was one-third owner of Cascade Plunge, a swimming pool at the Tennessee Fairgrounds. At the concession stand, he would sell food that included his home-made chili soup and hot dogs with chili. He would make the chili at the fairgrounds’ site and store it in sealed cans he made by hand, a trade he learned from working in the family business during his younger years.
1936
The infamous Vietti brand of chili formally began to be manufactured. Pete Vietti and his investors opened the Vietti Foods’ plant on Franklin Street, incorporated in 1936, and produced canned BBQ beef, pork and chili with and without beans.
1960s
Vietti Foods introduced hot dog chili sauce.
1979
Introduced a second food line under the Southgate product label and named after the street the plant was located on.
1987
Vietti Foods bought Varello Foods’ packing company of Nashville.
2001 - 2005
More than doubled the number of products Vietti Foods manufactured and distributed.
May 2006
Acquired a Nashville packaging plant that previously housed manufacturing operations for Portion Pac, Inc., a H. J. Heinz Corp. subsidiary. Continued their manufacture of cooked sauces, condiments, salad dressings, dry mixes and breadings under the new brand name of Choice Food of America.
February 2007
Diversity Brands retains approval for a new national brand. Its Mayberry Supper product line proposal was approved by movie star Andy Griffith of the 1950’s syndicated television series “Mayberry” and by the senior management of the television network CBS for distribution to the entire United States for all business channels, any food products, initially for three years.
March 2007
Diversity Brands offers more of a platform of brands seeking to increase their share of U.S. multicultural markets through consumer food products.
May 2007
Diversity Brands launched its new product line, Mayberry’s Finest, at the May 2007 Food Marketing Institute Show in Chicago. Products included the following:
- Choice Food of America - Baking mixes (cornbread, muffins, brownies, breadings and batters)
- Choice Food of America - Table syrups and dressings
- Choice Food of America - Frozen yeast rolls
- Vietti Foods Co. - Canned southern-seasoned vegetables
- Vietti Foods Co. - Canned beef stew, chicken and dumplings, chili
