A look back at milestone moments.
The history of Dixie® paper cups and disposable tableware.
Dixie® has been instrumental in giving us confidence in every meal moment. From helping to stop the spread of germs, to giving us disposable containers and tableware for everyday convenience — Dixie® has always been there.
Invented To Stop the Spread of Germs
1907
Lawrence Luellen, an inventor from Boston,
Massachusetts invented a paper cup to help
stop the spread of germs.
1910
Lawrence Luellen and Hugh Moore moved
to New York to incorporate the Individual
Drinking Cup Company. They hired engineers
to develop machinery to produce paper cups
untouched by human hands. The new cups
were called Health Kups.
1916
Faced with competition from other paper
cup manufacturers, Hugh Moore recognized
their Health Kups needed a more
memorable name. Moore asked the Dixie
Doll Company of New York if he could
borrow their name — and the Dixie® brand
name that we know today was born.
1921
Following the global pandemic of 1918, the
need for safe drinking cups was greater than
ever. Dixie® produced the first packaged line
of Dixie® paper cups for home use.
Playing A Part In America’s Fun Times
1923
Luellen and Moore developed a franchise
plan with ice cream makers across America
to create the first individually packaged
Dixie® ice cream cups.
1928
The Dixie® Circus, a Dixie® sponsored
commercial radio show, introduced children
across America to a colorful cast of circus
animals whose pictures they could collect
under the lids of their ice cream cups.
THE LATE 1940s
The fast food industry began to emerge and
Dixie® met the demand by producing
custom containers for restaurants, lunch
counters and more.
1952
Dixie® introduced The Dixie Cocktail Time
set. It included three sizes of exclusively
processed cups designed for alcoholic
beverages.
Creating a Stronger, Better Product
1987
The Dixie® brand split into two distinct lines:
heavy-duty dinner plates called Superware
and casual use lunch plates called
Livingware.
1990
Dixie® moved to eliminate solvents from the
manufacturing process. A water-based
polymer system was developed that created
a soak-proof barrier at a very low coating
weight, which made the new Soak Proof
Shield™ friendly for the environment and
ideal for microwave use.
1997
Experimenting with how to make cold cups
stronger, a Dixie® engineer accidentally
created the Perfect Touch® cup, an insulated
cup ideal for hot beverages.
THE 2000s
Dixie® revolutionized the food service industry
with to-go products like Dixie® Liddies. These
portion cups sped up preparation time, while
Cutlery Dense Packs made restocking easier
for food service employees and more sanitary
for customers.
Innovations For Everyday Life
Dixie® continues to create disposable tableware solutions that allow you to be present for every meal moment by helping to make the occasion hassle-free. From developing plates, bowls, and cutting boards with a Soak Proof Shield™ and Flex Proof® Technology to on the-go cups that are leak resistant, Dixie® is inspired to evolve with the mealtime needs of you and your family.
Some FAQs about Dixie® history and innovations.
The Dixie® cup began in 1907, when Lawrence Luellen of Boston invented a paper cup to help stop the spread of germs. In 1910, Luellen and Hugh Moore formed the Individual Drinking Cup Company, selling cups called “Health Kups.” The name Dixie followed in 1916, and the brand has been making disposable cups and tableware ever since.
The Dixie® name dates to 1916, when the company’s paper cups were renamed Dixie, a name borrowed from the Dixie Doll Company of New York. Before that, the cups Lawrence Luellen and Hugh Moore sold were called “Health Kups.”
Dixie® introduced Soak Proof Shield™ in 1990, when it eliminated solvents from its coating process and moved to a water-based polymer coating that is microwave friendly. Soak Proof Shield™ still helps Dixie® plates and bowls resist soak-through today, from salad dressing to burger grease, and it complies with FDA food-contact regulations.
Dixie® cups came into American homes in 1921, when the first packaged Dixie cups for home use were introduced following the 1918 pandemic. Two years later, in 1923, the Dixie brand introduced the first individually packaged Dixie ice cream cups, extending the brand from health and hygiene into treats and everyday family life.
Dixie® has introduced a range of disposable foodservice and tableware innovations throughout its history. These include custom restaurant containers in the late 1940s, the heavy-duty Superware and Livingware lines in 1987, the PerfecTouch® insulated cup in 1997, and new foodservice products in the 2000s.
See what we’re up to on social.
Follow us on social media for more content and community.
Shop Dixie® products online and in store.
Ready to buy? Click below to find your favorite Dixie® products online or at the store nearest you.
Got something you’d like to share with us?
If you love Dixie® products and just want to shout it out loud, here’s your chance!