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Whatever Happened to Bosco?

boscosyrup

I wrote a blog about the “things my children won’t remember.” One of the products I mentioned was Bosco Chocolate syrup. To my great surprise there was a comment on the blog from Scott Sanders, who just happens to be the co-owner of Bosco Chocolate Syrup. He posted that “Bosco is still around! You can buy it at most supermarkets in the NYC metro area and other places on the East Coast — and on our website at http://www.boscoworld.com.”

In addition to ordering a case of the different flavors, I contacted Mr. Sanders, and he graciously agreed to participate in a Q&A piece for anewscafe.com. Our conversation is  below.

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Thank you for agreeing to talk to anewscafe.com about Bosco.

First, I have to tell you how surprised I was to see your comment on my blog about “things my children won’t remember.”

Q: Let’s start off by solving a mystery. How did you find my blog on ANewsCafe. com?

I’m quite glad to contribute to anewscafe.com. I found your blog via an automated Google Alert that scans the web for mentions of Bosco.

Q: For someone that may not know about Bosco, could you tell us a little about the history, current products and how did you come to be co owner?

Bosco was created in 1928, when it was developed by a Camden, New Jersey physician and was sold by the William S. Scull Company. In the mid-1950’s, Bosco was sold to Corn Products Company. In 1985, the brand was taken over by Bosco Products, Inc., an independent company based in Towaco, New Jersey, owned by my father and me. As you know, Bosco has a rich heritage – and carries with it childhood memories for many Baby Boomers. In addition to memories of moms mixing Bosco with milk as an after-school treat, many “children-at-heart” remember Dick Van Dyke, “Tex” Antoine, and Virginia Graham as Bosco spokespersons, as well as the Bosco Chocolateers, Bosco Clowns, Bosco Rabbits, Bosco Bears, and more.

We currently sell Bosco in the original chocolate flavor, strawberry, berry blue, dulce de caramelo, and sugar-free chocolate.

Q: Growing up in southern California, I remember fun commercials for Bosco and enjoying the chocolate syrup on ice cream and in milk.. Why don’t we see it in California anymore? Is there a particular region where Bosco has a strong following?

Over the years, Bosco became a regional item, with its strongest following in the New York City metro area. Much to my chagrin, chocolate syrup isn’t as popular as it was years ago, and the reduced sales volume doesn’t warrant large-scale advertising any longer. We are marketing Bosco in new, creative, cost-effective ways today. We are working hard to find new distribution for Bosco. It is cliché to ask, but it really does help: Ask your grocery for Bosco! We find that when regular people ask the manager at your supermarket to carry Bosco, it often helps us out.

Q: What do you see for the future of Bosco?

A: We are continuing to make the great-tasting Bosco Chocolate Syrup that so many people love. Our team is seeking out supermarket and other stores to carry Bosco, and we’re working hard to keep the memory of Bosco alive for kids of all ages.

This year, we’ll likely launch a new website that will make it easier for people to order Bosco directly and to provide information for their local supermarket manager to order from us. I’ll let you know when I have more details.

Thank you Mr. Sanders, this was fun. I am enjoying my case of Bosco and sharing it with friends who remember the product from our childhood.

Scott Sanders can be reached at Bosco Products – scott@boscoworld.com –  or on the web at boscoworld.com/ or via Twitter at twitter.com/bosco

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Darcie Gore

Darcie Gore earned a master's degree in social work and enjoyed working with diverse populations for over 30 years. She is a stroke survivor and is assisted by Bailey, her service dog. Darcie has been married to Jim since she was 17 years old. They have two grown children.

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