The Joy of a Stick of Wrigley's Gum: A Chicago Tradition

There's a small, perfect pleasure in the snap of a fresh stick of gum.

William Wrigley Jr. understood that pleasure better than almost anyone.

He arrived in Chicago in 1891 with a head full of sales tricks and a product that nobody asked for: baking powder.

To move it, he began giving away two packs of chewing gum with every can.

The gum proved so popular that he pivoted the entire business toward it.

In 1892, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company was officially in the chewing-gum trade.

Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint followed in 1893, and both became instant fixtures in candy jars, glove compartments, and lunch boxes across the country.

By 1914, Doublemint had joined the family, with its famous double-headed advertising campaign.

The Wrigley Building, completed in 1924, still watches over the Chicago River like a mint-white monument to that first bold idea.

For more than a century, a stick of Wrigley's has meant something simple: a quick, sweet pause in the middle of a busy day.

It is a Chicago invention in the truest sense — born from hustle, wrapped in optimism, and shared one stick at a time.

At ChiGrub, we still reach for it when we pack orders, when we drive across town, and when we want to remember that the best Chicago traditions often come in small packages.

Q: When was Wrigley's gum founded?

A: The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company was founded in Chicago in 1891 and began selling chewing gum in 1892.

Q: What was Wrigley's first gum flavor?

A: Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint were both introduced in 1893.

Q: Where is the Wrigley Building located?

A: It stands at 400-410 North Michigan Avenue along the Chicago River, completed in 1924.