Cape Cod Potato Chips
An American snack brand best known for thick, kettle-cooked potato chips.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Cape Cod Potato Chips is an American snack-food brand headquartered in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. It is best known for potato chips made in batches in kettles rather than through the continuous frying process used by many large commercial producers. The method gives the chips a characteristically thick, crunchy texture and has become central to the brand’s identity. The business was founded in 1980 by Steve Bernard and his brother, Jude Bernard. The concept grew out of the Bernards’ interest in less-processed foods. Steve’s wife, Lynn, had operated a natural-food store in Harwich, and the family saw an opportunity to offer a snack that seemed more compatible with the emerging natural-food movement. After tasting a natural potato chip made by a Hawaiian company, Steve decided to enter the potato-chip business. He sold his auto-parts operation, completed a short chip-making course, acquired an industrial slicer, and opened a small storefront in Hyannis on July 4, 1980. The early operation struggled. A vehicle later crashed through the storefront, narrowly missing members of the Bernard family. The resulting insurance payment and publicity helped the business survive until the following summer, when tourism and supermarket distribution improved sales. The chips subsequently moved beyond Cape Cod and were distributed through supermarket chains across the East Coast. Cape Cod’s production approach helped distinguish it from mainstream national brands. Potato slices are fried in relatively small batches in shallow kettles and stirred during cooking. The technique was not invented by Bernard, but the company was part of a broader revival of kettle-style chips in the modern snack market. The brand’s positioning has generally combined regional New England identity, a rustic or hand-crafted presentation, and an emphasis on crunch and comparatively simple ingredients. Ownership changed several times. Anheuser-Busch acquired the company in 1985 and operated it through its Eagle Snacks division. By the end of the following year, the business was reportedly selling as many as 80,000 bags per day and had expanded throughout the East Coast. Steve Bernard later repurchased the company in 1996 with financing from Stolberg Partners. Lance Inc. acquired it in 1999, when reported annual sales were approximately $30 million. Lance later became part of Snyder’s-Lance through a 2010 merger, and Campbell Soup Company acquired Snyder’s-Lance in December 2017, bringing Cape Cod Potato Chips into Campbell’s snack portfolio. The brand’s range has included traditional kettle-cooked potato chips in multiple flavors, as well as other snack products such as popcorn. Its public profile has been reinforced by Cape Cod imagery, factory-tour interest, television advertising, entertainment product placement, and cultural references. In 2012, the company introduced a television commercial featuring computer-generated seagulls performing a version of “I Ran (So Far Away),” described as its first television commercial. Cape Cod Potato Chips remains a Campbell-owned American snack brand whose principal distinction is its kettle-cooked texture and association with Cape Cod. Reference material also reports that Campbell announced closure of the Hyannis factory in 2026, which would end production at the facility associated with the brand’s name and origin; the supplied material does not establish whether manufacturing would be transferred elsewhere or whether the brand would otherwise change status.
History
Cape Cod Potato Chips began in 1980 when Steve Bernard and his brother, Jude, established a small potato-chip business in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The idea was connected to the family’s natural-food interests: Steve’s wife, Lynn, had run a natural-food store in Harwich, and Steve believed the local market lacked a snack with a less-processed image. After sampling a natural chip from Hawaii, he decided to make potato chips himself. He sold his auto-parts business, bought an 800-square-foot storefront in Hyannis, and acquired an industrial slicer for $3,000. His formal preparation was limited to a week-long course in potato-chip production. The shop opened on July 4, 1980, but the company faced difficult trading conditions during its first months. A car accident that sent a vehicle through the storefront narrowly missed Steve’s wife and daughter. Insurance proceeds and the publicity surrounding the incident helped sustain the operation until the following summer, when stronger seasonal demand and supermarket listings improved the business. Distribution expanded from Cape Cod to supermarket chains across the East Coast. The brand’s manufacturing identity centered on batch frying. Instead of sending slices continuously through a large oil-filled conveyor system, workers cooked them in kettles containing a shallower volume of oil and stirred the slices during frying. The process created a thicker, crunchier chip. Kettle cooking had existed before the rise of continuous commercial frying, so Cape Cod did not originate the method; its importance was helping make the style prominent again in the contemporary snack market. Anheuser-Busch purchased the company in 1985 and placed it within the Eagle Snacks division. The business grew rapidly under that ownership. Contemporary reference material says sales reached roughly 80,000 bags per day by the end of 1986 and that annual sales were about $16 million, although those figures are historical and are not presented here as current financial data. Bernard bought the company and its factory back in 1996 with capital from Stolberg Partners. Lance Inc. acquired Cape Cod Potato Chips in 1999, by which time reported annual sales had reached about $30 million. Lance merged with Snyder’s of Hanover in 2010, creating Snyder’s-Lance. Campbell Soup Company acquired Snyder’s-Lance in December 2017. Cape Cod Potato Chips consequently became part of Campbell’s snack business and remained a brand rather than an independently listed company. The brand’s principal market has continued to be the United States. Over time, Cape Cod expanded beyond its original core flavor into a broader selection of potato-chip varieties and related salty snacks. Its marketing has consistently drawn on Cape Cod associations, including coastal imagery and the visibility of its Hyannis facility. The brand appeared in entertainment-related product placement and was referenced in popular culture. In 2012, it launched a television commercial built around computer-generated seagulls performing a version of A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran (So Far Away),” identified in the reference material as the company’s first television commercial. The supplied reference material reports a Campbell announcement in 2026 concerning closure of the Hyannis factory. Because the material does not provide details about alternative production sites, employment consequences, or the long-term corporate plan, those points remain unresolved. The reported closure would nevertheless mark a significant break between the brand and the Cape Cod facility that has represented its local origin and manufacturing heritage.
- 2026
Reported Hyannis factory closure
[1]Reference material reports that Campbell announced closure of the Hyannis factory, ending production at the brand’s namesake Cape Cod facility.
- 2018
Campbell ownership established
[1]The brand is identified in reference material as owned by Campbell’s from 2018.
- 2017
Acquired by Campbell Soup Company
[1]Campbell Soup Company acquired Snyder’s-Lance, making Cape Cod Potato Chips part of Campbell’s snack portfolio.
- 2012
First television commercial
[1]The brand launched a television advertisement featuring computer-generated seagulls performing a version of “I Ran (So Far Away).”
- 2010
Snyder’s-Lance created
[1]Lance merged with Snyder’s of Hanover, placing Cape Cod Potato Chips within the new Snyder’s-Lance organization.
- 1999
Acquired by Lance
[1]Lance Inc. acquired Cape Cod Potato Chips after the company had reportedly reached approximately $30 million in annual sales.
- 1996
Steve Bernard repurchases the company
[1]Bernard bought the company and factory back from Anheuser-Busch with financing from Stolberg Partners.
- 1986
East Coast expansion
[1]Reference material describes rapid growth, including distribution throughout the East Coast and reported sales of up to 80,000 bags per day.
- 1985
Acquired by Anheuser-Busch
[1]Anheuser-Busch acquired the business and operated it through the Eagle Snacks division.
- 1980
Brand founded in Hyannis
[1]Steve Bernard and Jude Bernard founded Cape Cod Potato Chips and opened a small storefront in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on July 4.
Products and positioning
A premium-leaning American salty-snack brand emphasizing thick kettle-cooked texture, pronounced crunch, regional Cape Cod heritage, and a less industrial visual identity.
Potato chips · 1980
Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
The brand’s core product line consists of thick potato slices cooked in batches in kettles. Batch frying and stirring produce the firm, crunchy texture associated with Cape Cod Potato Chips. The line has been sold in classic and flavored varieties and is positioned around robust texture, regional identity, and a more traditional cooking style than continuous-fried mainstream chips.
Popcorn
Cape Cod White Cheddar Popcorn
A related snack product associated with the Cape Cod brand. White cheddar popcorn has appeared in the brand’s product-placement history and broadens the portfolio beyond potato chips into flavored packaged snacks.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Seagull television commercial
United States
Cape Cod Potato Chips introduced a television advertisement featuring computer-generated seagulls performing a version of A Flock of Seagulls’ song “I Ran (So Far Away).” The creative used coastal imagery and humor to connect the product with its Cape Cod identity. The advertisement was identified in reference material as the company’s first television commercial.
Outcome. The advertisement was identified in reference material as the company’s first television commercial.
Brand decisions
2026
Announced closure of the Hyannis factoryStrategyBackground
The Hyannis facility has been associated with the brand since its founding and represents its local manufacturing heritage.
Action taken
Reference material reports that Campbell announced the factory’s closure.
Aftermath
Production would no longer take place at the namesake Cape Cod facility, although the supplied material does not establish whether production will move to another site or how the brand will otherwise be affected.
2017
Campbell acquisition of Snyder’s-LanceM&ABackground
Cape Cod Potato Chips was part of Snyder’s-Lance when Campbell Soup Company pursued the snack-food company.
Action taken
Campbell Soup Company acquired Snyder’s-Lance in December 2017.
Aftermath
Cape Cod became a Campbell-owned snack brand and was incorporated into Campbell’s broader snack portfolio.
1999
Sale to Lance Inc.M&ABackground
Cape Cod had grown into a sizable regional snack business with reported annual sales of approximately $30 million.
Action taken
Lance Inc. acquired the company.
Aftermath
The brand later became part of Snyder’s-Lance through Lance’s 2010 merger with Snyder’s of Hanover.
1996
Repurchase by Steve BernardM&ABackground
After the Anheuser-Busch period, the founder sought to regain control of the brand and its factory.
Action taken
Steve Bernard bought the company back with capital from Stolberg Partners.
Aftermath
The company returned to founder ownership before being sold to Lance three years later.
1985
Sale to Anheuser-BuschM&ABackground
The young regional chip company had expanded beyond its original Cape Cod storefront and attracted a major packaged-food owner.
Action taken
Anheuser-Busch acquired the company and operated it through Eagle Snacks.
Aftermath
The business expanded across the East Coast and reported substantial volume growth.
Recent events
- 2026
Campbell announces closure of the Hyannis Cape Cod Potato Chips factory[1]
Other
Reference material reports that Campbell's announced the closure of the Hyannis factory, ending production at the facility where the brand originated. The supplied material does not specify a final operating date, workforce impact, or future manufacturing arrangements.
Sources2 sources
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