OurHistory

Ethel and Eugene Fisher began making these potato chips from their home at the corner of Charles and 7th Street in 1932. Originally named Mr. Fisher’s Potato Chips, the business was renamed to Mrs. Fisher’s after Eugene left Ethel during the Great Depression. As the business grew, it moved into a small brick building at the corner of 6th St. and 5th Ave. The company moved from 6th St. and 5th Ave. to the corner of Fulton Ave. and Grant St. in the 1960s and then to our current address in 1978.

The work was all done by hand, from unloading the potatoes to peeling and cooking. Imagine peeling 100-pound bags of potatoes all day long! Ethel was known for selling her “Penny Chips,” the small broken pieces and crumbs, in small paper bags.

While many parts of the operation have been automated, we now use a machine we call SpudNik, to unload the 50,000 pounds of potatoes we receive weekly, and we no longer have to peel them by hand. Despite these changes, the care and quality have remained unchanged.

By using the best shortening and chipping potatoes and making thicker sliced chips, Mrs. Fisher’s developed a loyal following that continues to grow today. Our three route drivers deliver our chips to customers within a 25-mile radius of Rockford. We also have four distributors that take our chips into Wisconsin, the Chicagoland area, and as far south as Joliet, Illinois.

The Mrs. Fisher's dancing potato logo, originally designed by Mr. Eugene Fisher in 1932, has become one of the most recognized icons in the region.