Totino's is a brand of frozen pizza products owned by General Mills, best known for their pizza rolls. Totino's was founded as a restaurant in the 1950s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which expanded to frozen foods in the 1960s. They also operate the Jeno's brand.
History
Rose and Jim Totino founded Totino's Italian Kitchen, a take-out pizzeria in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 7, 1951. After customers regularly tried to eat in the store, they expanded to a full-service restaurant,[1] which relocated to Mound's View in 2008, before closing in 2011.[2]
Totino's expanded into frozen-pizza manufacturing during the 1960s, initially selling frozen pastas from their restaurant before transitioning to pizza production. This shift began in 1961 with the purchase of a plant in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Following the plant purchase and the start of production in January 1962, the company initially faced losses. However, in the fall of 1962, they transitioned to purchasing pre-made frozen pizza crusts and shifted their focus to the tomato sauce, meats, and cheeses.