Sterzing's Potato Chips Iowa Made In Burlington

Burlington, Iowa.Mid-1930s. The country’s in the middle of the Great Depression. Money is tight. Businesses are failing.

Barney Sterzing is trying to sell candy.

It’s not going well.Heat melts the product. People aren’t buying sweets. Sugar costs too much. Something has to change.

So he pivots.

Potatoes are cheap. Oil is cheap. Salt is cheap.

He slices potatoes thin. Drops them into hot oil. Lets them cook slow. Pulls them out crisp. Tosses on salt.

That’s it. No flavors. No tricks. Just chips. And people buy them.

Then World War II hits. Sugar gets rationed. Candy is done. Completely done.

Sterzing leans all the way in. Potato chips become the business.

While big companies chase growth, Sterzing does the opposite. He keeps it small.

For years, you could only get Sterzing’s close to Burlington. Maybe a short drive out. That’s it. Not because they can’t expand. Because they don’t want to. Small batches mean better chips. Fresher chips. Chips that don’t sit in warehouses.

After the war, national brands exploded. Grocery stores fill up with mass-produced snacks.

Sterzing’s doesn’t change. Same process. Same taste. Same stubborn approach. Eventually, they spread across Iowa. Then, into the Midwest.

But the core stays the same.

Still made in Burlington. Still simple. Still old-school. Around here, that matters. Because Sterzing’s isn’t just a chip.

It’s the one you grew up eating.