Who Owns Tony's?

Tony's was founded in 1957 in the United States as a frozen pizza brand. The brand was created during the early years of the American frozen food industry, when frozen pizza was a relatively new product category and consumer adoption of home freezers was expanding rapidly. Tony's positioned itself as an accessible, value-priced frozen pizza with a distinctive crispy thin crust that differentiated it from other frozen pizza products of the era.

The brand's founding concept was to offer a convenient, affordable frozen pizza that delivered a satisfying eating experience. The crispy thin crust became Tony's signature product characteristic, providing a texture that many consumers preferred to the thicker, doughier crusts of competing frozen pizza brands. This crust differentiation became the foundation of Tony's brand identity and a key driver of consumer loyalty.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, Tony's expanded its distribution and product range as the frozen pizza category grew. The brand developed a variety of topping combinations while maintaining its core crispy crust positioning. Tony's became particularly well-established in the Midwest, where it developed strong regional brand recognition and a loyal consumer base.

The frozen pizza category experienced significant growth through the 1970s and 1980s as American consumers increasingly embraced frozen convenience foods. Tony's competed in this growing market alongside brands including Totino's (General Mills), Tombstone (Kraft), and DiGiorno (Kraft), each of which developed distinctive positioning within the frozen pizza category.

In 1988, Conagra acquired Tony's, bringing the brand into one of the largest food companies in the United States. The acquisition provided Tony's with Conagra's extensive manufacturing capabilities, national distribution network, and marketing resources, supporting the brand's continued growth and distribution expansion.

Under Conagra's ownership, Tony's has continued to operate as a value-positioned frozen pizza brand with a focus on its crispy crust heritage. The brand has maintained its core product lineup while adapting to changes in consumer preferences and the competitive frozen pizza landscape. Conagra has invested in the brand's manufacturing and distribution capabilities to ensure consistent product quality and broad retail availability.

The frozen pizza category has evolved significantly since Tony's founding, with the introduction of rising crust, stuffed crust, and premium frozen pizza products that have expanded the category beyond the value segment where Tony's has traditionally competed. Tony's has maintained its value positioning while benefiting from Conagra's broader portfolio management and distribution capabilities.