The Philadelphia Cream Cheese trademark was sold to which cheese company?

The Philadelphia Cream Cheese trademark was sold to the Phenix Cheese Company.

The Philadelphia name began as a marketing label for cream cheese made in New York State. Alvah Reynolds, who distributed the product, built demand for the brand during the late nineteenth century. As production and distribution expanded, ownership of the name became commercially important.

In 1903, Reynolds sold the rights to the “Philadelphia” brand name to the Phenix Cheese Company. Phenix was based in South Edmeston, New York, and became the company responsible for producing and developing the branded cheese. This transaction is why Phenix—not Kraft—is the answer to the historical trademark question.

Kraft is a common wrong answer because Phenix later merged with Kraft in 1928, creating Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company. Kraft therefore became the later corporate successor, but it was not the company that originally bought the trademark rights from Reynolds. The brand subsequently became part of the modern Kraft and Mondelēz corporate history.