Who Owns Cheez-It?

Cheez-It was created in 1921 by the Green & Green Company in Dayton, Ohio. The original recipe used real cheese baked into a small, square cracker, establishing the product's signature taste and texture. This founding vision demonstrated exceptional insight into the growing demand for convenient, flavorful snack products while establishing a distinctive product concept that would define the cheese cracker category for generations.

The brand changed hands several times over the decades. The Sunshine Biscuits company acquired the brand, and Keebler Foods later took ownership. When Kellogg Company acquired Keebler in 2001 for $4.56 billion, Cheez-It became part of Kellogg's portfolio. This series of corporate acquisitions demonstrated Cheez-It's exceptional brand value and market position while providing the resources necessary for continued growth and expansion.

In October 2023, Kellogg split into two companies: WK Kellogg Co (cereals) and Kellanova (snacks). Cheez-It became part of Kellanova. In August 2024, Mars announced its intent to acquire Kellanova for $36 billion, and the deal closed in December 2025. This strategic acquisition demonstrated Mars' exceptional ability to identify and acquire snack brands with strong brand equity while creating a comprehensive snacking portfolio that could serve diverse consumer needs.

Today, Cheez-It is one of the best-selling cracker brands in the United States, generating over $1 billion in annual retail sales. This sustained success demonstrates Cheez-It's ability to maintain cultural relevance while adapting to changing consumer preferences and market conditions across multiple geographic regions and cultural contexts. The brand's continued evolution under Mars ownership represents a significant milestone in its century-long history.