Emile A. Zatarain Sr.
Emile Antoine Zatarain Sr. was a grocer and food entrepreneur who trademarked root beer and built a business selling spices, condiments, and foods flavored in the culinary traditions of New Orleans and Louisiana's Creole and Cajun cultures to the world via the brand that today is known simply as Zatarain's.
History
Emile A. Zatarain Sr., a merchant and entrepreneur of Basque descent, was born in 1866, it is estimated on the 1910 U.S. Census. Zatarain was born in New Orleans. He had 5 sons, all of whom followed him into his business when they all finished school.In 1886, Zatarain opened a grocery store with the first National Cash Register in Louisiana. A few months later, he bought a horse and buggy to do deliveries. The company's big success, at first, was root beer. According to great granddaughter Allison Zatarain, "Emile introduced Papoose Root Beer at 2:30 p.m. on May 7, 1889, at the Louisiana Exposition. The root beer was so successful, that his business grew, and grew, and grew!"
Several years later, Zatarain found that it was more cost effective to sell the root beer blend as an extract. Zatarain formed a company called Papoose Pure Food Products to manufacture the root beer and diversify into other foods and he built a factory at 925 Valmont Street, New Orleans. He began to import and pack olives, pickles and spices.
On May 29, 1922, as his sons assumed more of the day-to-day operation, Zatarain reincorporated the business as E.A. Zatarain & Sons, Inc. and also did business as Zatarain's Pure Food Products. Emile A. Zatarain Jr. and his wife Ida May Bennett Zatarain eventually took over the business. Ida May created recipes for their products like Remoulade Sauce and Olive Salad.