Cape Cod Potato Chips to Stop Production on the Cape as Hyannis Factory Closes

Cape Cod Potato Chips, the crunchy snack synonymous with seaside summers and road trips to the Cape, will no longer be made where it all began. Campbell Soup Company, which owns the brand, announced plans to close the Hyannis factory where the chips have been produced since 1985.

According to the company, operations on Ridgewood Avenue will wind down over the coming months, affecting 49 employees. The decision, Campbell’s said, comes after a “careful assessment” of the business and the plant’s production costs.

“This difficult decision reflects a careful assessment of our business needs to strengthen our operations and position our Snacks business for long-term growth,” Elizabeth Duggan, president of Campbell’s Snacks division, said in a statement. “We will maintain a community presence by honoring the brand’s heritage and continue local investment to support the next generation of food innovators on Cape Cod.”

The Hyannis site currently accounts for only about 4% of Cape Cod Potato Chips’ total production, according to Campbell’s. Future batches of the kettle-cooked chips will come from the company’s other plants in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

For many locals and visitors, the closing marks the end of an era. The Hyannis factory was once a tourist destination, offering behind-the-scenes tours of its chip-making process. Less than 10 years ago, then-owner Snyder’s-Lance invested roughly $20 million to expand that same facility and upgrade the visitor experience. Those tours were eventually discontinued, but the brand retained a strong connection to its Cape Cod roots.

The factory’s closing has also drawn attention from local business advocates. The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance said the loss highlights challenges for manufacturers in the state. “Massachusetts cannot even keep Cape Cod Potato Chips in Cape Cod,” said Paul Diego Craney, the organization’s executive director, told CBS News Boston. “When a company whose entire identity is tied to this state decides it no longer makes economic sense to operate here, that should set off alarm bells on Beacon Hill.”

Campbell’s said it will provide separation benefits and job placement services for the affected workers. The company also emphasized it plans to continue supporting the Cape Cod community in other ways.

While the chips will keep their familiar name and packaging, the reality that they won’t actually be made on Cape Cod anymore is hitting fans hard. For lifelong residents and visitors alike, the closing feels like saying goodbye to a small piece of Cape tradition, one that’s long been as recognizable as the lighthouse on its iconic bag.