Goodbye to a Beloved Frozen Pizza Brand After Nearly 60 Years in Supermarkets
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A popular frozen pizza brand will be discontinued, and its parent company, based in Chicago, states it will "redirect resources" to other areas. The change was announced during Conagra Brands' fiscal 2027 first-quarter earnings conference call on September 30. Conagra Brands includes several well-known brands, including Marie Callender’s meals, Birds Eye frozen vegetables, and Hebrew National hot dogs. Until recently, Conagra's portfolio also included Celeste Pizza, also known as Mama Celeste’s, a recognizable brand in the frozen food aisles of supermarkets across the United States. According to comments from CEO John Brase during the call on September 30, the company will exit the Celeste frozen pizza business. Brase stated that the move is part of a "bold decision" to focus resources on Conagra's "stronger opportunities." He added that it is also part of an "aggressive approach to reduce SKU complexity" across the company. "There are certain brands and categories where we simply don’t see a future," Brase said in response to a question during the call. "It makes sense to exit those smaller, really unprofitable or low-margin brands as soon as possible." As of Monday, October 12, the Celeste Pizza website did not appear to be operational. According to TODAY.com, Celeste Pizza has roots in Chicago dating back 60 years, starting when Celeste Lizio and her husband emigrated to the United States in the 1930s. Celeste's recipes became popular shortly after, leading her and her husband to open a grocery store and later a restaurant in West Chicago. Celeste's daughter, Clara, later opened Clara’s Restaurant in Woodridge, Illinois, using many family recipes. "In the 1950s, the adult children expanded the family business by selling their homemade products, such as ravioli, to other local restaurants and grocery stores," noted the restaurant's website. "The wholesale business was so successful that in 1963 the family closed Celeste’s to focus exclusively on the supply business. In 1969, the family sold the business to Quaker Oats, which then created the Mama Celeste brand we all know today." This story was translated from English with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An editor from Telemundo Chicago reviewed the translation.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
