November 18, 1945

In 1945, Ralph F. and Alice Stayer opened up a butcher shop with another family and named it after their Wisconsin hometown – Johnsonville. Little did they know that their venture would lay the foundation for an iconic brand loved worldwide. Their shop featured delicious meats, including sausage. Ralph F. was determined to make his brat better – not with scraps of meat like other butchers used. Instead, his recipe used premium cuts of pork, better spices and a better grinding technique. When sales of his bratwurst started to exceed sales of hamburger, the Stayers knew they were onto something.