PepsiCo acquired Stacy’s Pita Chip Company in 2006. The business became part of PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay snack division, connecting the fast-growing pita-chip brand with one of the world’s largest snack-food companies.
Stacy Madison and Mark Andrus developed the product from their Boston-area food cart, Stacy’s D’Lites. They began slicing leftover pita bread, seasoning it and baking it into crunchy chips, which they initially gave customers while they waited for sandwiches.
The pita chips became popular enough for the founders to focus on them as a full-time business. Sales expanded through grocery-store sampling and improved production equipment. PepsiCo’s acquisition gave Stacy’s access to Frito-Lay’s manufacturing, distribution and retail network.
Some accounts describe the sale agreement as occurring in 2005, with the transaction completed in 2006. That timing explains why both years can appear in business histories, but the stored answer remains correct for a question asking which company acquired Stacy’s in 2006. PepsiCo is the parent company; Frito-Lay is the operating division most closely associated with the brand.