Chock full o'Nuts history

In 1953, the company introduced its Chock Full o'Nuts brand of vacuum-packed coffee into New York area stores.

But in 1954, the company brought roasting in-house, opening a Brooklyn-based roasting plant.

By 1955 Chock full o’ Nuts would become the biggest selling brand of coffee in New York.

Chock full o’ Nuts also made history in the hiring of Jackie Robinson in 1957.

In 1960, Black donated $5 million to fund a new medical research building at Columbia University, then the largest single donation by a living person ever received by the university.

Yet profits were dropping, bringing Black, who continued to hold tight control over nearly every aspect of the company's operations, into conflict with a growing base of shareholders, many of whom had purchased their stock at an inflated 51 times earnings in 1961.

In 1962, Chock Full purchased Sol Cafe Manufacturing Corp. of Jamaica, Long Island for $900,000.

In 1964, the company spent several million dollars more acquiring three coffee companies, Old Judge Coffee Company of St Louis, Nash's Coffee Company of St Paul, and Boseul Coffee & Tea Inc. of Philadelphia.

In 1966, Chock Full moved to bring its restaurant operations nationwide, with a Chock Full o'Nuts "Fairs" franchise concept that would help increase the company's restaurant operations to more than 100 units by the end of the decade.

Revenues began to fall, dropping to $42 million by 1968.

In 1977, Rheingold was sold to C. Schmidt & Sons.

In 1986, however, Chock Full moved to enter the institutional foodservice market by acquiring Greenwich Mills Co. and the La Touraine brand for nearly $42 million, and quickly achieved a strong market share.

In 1988, all Chock Full o’Nuts restaurants were sold to a company called Riese Brothers.

Over the years one could fine a Chuck full o’ Nuts store open just selling coffee and donuts in the same fashion as a Dunkin Donuts because they had opened Chock full o’ Nuts express stores in 1993.

By 1995, Chock Full's sales had jumped to $328 million, for a net income of nearly $5 million.

''We're looking to do something updated with the jingle in 2004, its 50th anniversary,'' Mr.

In 2008, he said, coffee was consumed at 25 percent of breakfast tables in the United States.

In 2010, it was announced that the old school Chock Full o’ Nuts lunch counters complete with their legendary date nut raisin bread cream cheese sandwhichs would be returning to New York City.