Ritz Crackers were introduced by Nabisco in 1934. The round, lightly salted cracker was created during the Great Depression, when its name was meant to suggest a small taste of luxury and “the good life.”
Ritz was developed to compete with Sunshine Biscuits’ Hi Ho crackers. Nabisco employee Sydney Stern helped choose the name and designed the familiar blue-and-yellow branding. The product quickly became recognizable for its scalloped edge, round shape, and crisp-but-buttery texture.
The seven small holes in an original Ritz cracker are functional, not merely decorative. They allow steam to escape during baking, helping prevent large air pockets and producing a more even cracker. The design also contributes to the cracker’s characteristic appearance.
A common mix-up is confusing Ritz’s introduction with the earlier history of the Jackson Cracker Company. Nabisco bought that company in 1919, but the Ritz brand itself did not appear until 1934. Today, Ritz is owned by Mondelēz International, following the later corporate separation of Nabisco’s former parent company.