Zeno Manufacturing Company
History
The Zeno Manufacturing Company was established in 1890, growing out of the Rubber Paint Company of Cleveland, Ohio. W.N. Brewer had the idea to incorporate rubber as an ingredient in chewing gum and opened a Chicago factory. Zeno became famous for unusually flavored gum varieties — 'Forbidden Fruit,' 'Blood Orange,' and 'Elegant' — sold via penny-operated oak-cabinet vending machines placed in bars and barbershops. In 1892, a young William Wrigley Jr. contracted Zeno to manufacture gum on his behalf. That relationship deepened until 1910, when Wrigley formally absorbed Zeno Manufacturing. The brand and its exotic flavors disappeared entirely under Wrigley's standardized product line.
Products
- Zeno Peppermint gum
- Forbidden Fruit gum
- Blood Orange gum
- Yucca Pepsin gum
- Elegant gum
Candy Pages
- Zeno Forbidden Fruit Gum
A penny-a-stick chewing gum with an exotic licorice-forward flavor profile, sold via oak-cabinet coin-operated vending machines in bars and barbershops.
- Zeno Blood Orange Gum
A bright, citrus-forward chewing gum made with blood orange flavoring — one of the first commercial citrus-flavored gums in American history.
Notable Firsts
- First commercial penny-operated chewing gum vending machine, 1890
- Early manufacturer for William Wrigley Jr. before Wrigley produced his own gum
What Happened
Absorbed by William Wrigley Jr. Company, 1910