Uncle Ray’s is the
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
name of a line of food products established by "Uncle" Ray Jenkins. All Uncle Ray's brand products are currently produced by Uncle Ray's LLC in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. Uncle Ray's LLC (formerly Cabana Foods) specializes in
potato chips and other
snack food
A snack is a small portion of food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.
Traditionally, snack ...
s such as onion rings, pretzels, and cheese curls. Uncle Ray's potato chips are sold in 52 chain stores across every US state except for California and in
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure and housewares sectors. Its Canadian operations include: Canadian Tire (including Canadian Tire Petroleum gas stations a ...
Gas Plus (Gas+) stations across Canada.
History
Ray Jenkins grew up in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
in poverty.
He dropped out of middle school at Grade 8 and took up a job in an iron foundry.
He later joined the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
, becoming a cook on the
USS Bristol.
When he returned home, Jenkins decided to open up his own food business.
'Uncle Ray' Jenkins started his career in 1965 when he sold products out of the back seat of his
Dodge Dart.
This was a partnership with Robert Qualls. "We had $150, and we started with chip dip. We had a local dairy make the chip dip, and I sold it to taverns, to bowling allies, to little stores, out of the back seat of my car", recalls Jenkins.
In 1967, Ray bought 'Cabana,' a pork skins manufacturer, for $1,200 and began selling extruded corn and cheese products.
Still operating under the name 'Cabana', Ray purchased a facility in
Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...
in 1969.
In 1983, he continued his expansion and bought the old Superior Potato Chip factory on the west side of Detroit.
Jenkins and Qualls became involved in a contentious legal battle which ended in the early 1990s, when the two men ended their partnership with Jenkins continuing on as the sole owner of the company. In 1993, pondering retirement, Jenkins sold the business to AmeriFoods.
The company held Cabana Foods for only two years before selling it back to Jenkins, who changed the company name to Jenkins Foods and launched the 'Uncle Ray's' brand.
In April 2006, Ray sold the business to a large privately held company.
The new company was established under the 'Uncle Ray's, LLC' name.
Jenkins is a Christian.
According to him, his belief in God was reinforced after he survived a two-week hospitalization following a
hematemesis episode.
A brief chapter from Jenkins' autobiography entitled "The Life and Times of Uncle Ray" can be found on the back of Uncle Ray's brand products.
Each offers a moral lesson and includes a bible verse.
Uncle Ray's LLC is owned by The
H. T. Hackney Company
The H. T. Hackney Company is an American wholesale grocery distribution firm headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1891, the company has grown over the years to become one of the largest grocery wholesalers in the nation, with operati ...
. Starting in 2016, Uncle Ray’s entered into a partnership with
MiLB to be its official potato chip, with its products sold at over 70 minor league ballparks.
See also
*
List of brand name snack foods
This is a list of brand name snack foods. A snack or snack food is a portion of food often smaller than a regular meal, generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged and processed foods and items made from ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.unclerays.com/
Brand name snack foods
Products introduced in 1995