History

The Pizza

The Schwan Food Company launched the Red Baron^® pizza brand in 1976. It was the first time the company offered a grocery-store brand that didn’t feature a traditional Italian name like Tony’s^® pizza. The name was taken from the WWI German ace pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, who was known as the Red Baron and died in combat.

Initially, the Red Baron^® brand was introduced in U.S. taverns, but after a major product launch in grocery stores in Dallas, Texas, the brand was set to become a household name. Today, the Red Baron^® brand’s trademark black packaging and delicious pizzas can be found in grocery stores throughout North America, offering a full range of pizza products.

The Squadron

The Red Baron^® Pizza Squadron’s fleet of Stearman biplanes entertained air-show enthusiasts from 1979 through 2007. With its signature look and topnotch piloting, it's easy to see why the Squadron was the longest-running civilian aerobatic flight team in the world.

The Stearman biplane has a rich history. In the 1920s, the planes were used primarily to transport mail. When World War II began, the Stearman took on a new role as a training plane for fighter pilots. More pilots were trained in the Stearman than in any other plane in the history of the world.

The Red Baron^® Pizza Squadron used these versatile Stearman planes to introduce Red Baron^® Premium Pizza. The Squadron was originally intended to be a six-month venture, but the planes’ success as a marketing tool kept the fleet running for nearly three decades.

The Museum

The Red Baron Museum^® opened its doors in 2004 to celebrate the Red Baron^® brand and the 25th anniversary of the Red Baron^® Pizza Squadron, an aerobatic team of WWII-era biplanes used to market Red Baron® products. The museum was added to the Red Baron^® Pizza Squadron hangar at the airport in Marshall, Minnesota.