In 1923, Frank Mars, a candymaker in Minneapolis, introduced the Milky Way bar, and distributed it locally. The Milky Way bar consisted of a center of malt-flavored nougat and caramel with a chocolate coating that kept the candy bar fresh. It was bigger than other candy bars, such as the Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, then on the market, but cheaper to make because it had only half as much chocolate. In 1924, Milky Way was marketed nationally and its sales topped $800,000 in the first year. In 1935 Milky Way was advertised as “the sweet you can eat between meals.” Milky Way remains one of America’s largest selling candy bars. Until the 1960s, all the chocolate in the Milky Way bar was supplied by its major competitor Hershey.
