RyKrisp Update – December 10, 2021 123


Another year has gone by, and we wish we could report that our legal efforts have successfully ended, but that is not the case. As those of you who have followed us over the years now know, the legal process is a tough slog, and especially tough when the defendant is now a large insurance company.

The year has been spent going back and forth with us trying to elicit discovery materials from the defendant and roadblocks going up right, left and sideways. This is a bit of a replay of the original case that we eventually won. We have to be diligent and incredibly persevering. We are doing just that.

In the meantime, we wish everyone out there a happy holiday season and may 2022 bring us the freedom and renewed camaraderie that we all miss during this pandemic.

All the best,

The RyKrisp Team


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123 thoughts on “RyKrisp Update – December 10, 2021

  • sharon nichols

    Thanks for keeping after the fight. I still miss RyKrisp crackers! Shame on the big insurance company and shame of the lawyers! Any hope of a recipe?

    • tleavitt Post author

      Sharon, Thanks. As to recipe, I am not an expert but what I learned in buying the brand and making crackers at the beginning is that it is the methodology of production that is key vs. the recipe. It seems very, very difficult to replicate in a small-scale operation because of some steps that make RYKRISP unique. Ted L

  • Mary Masick

    Thanks for the update! Still wishing all of legal issues with the Big Corp will be resolved soon. Truly miss Ry Krisp crackers which I was introduced in my early childhood.

    Best of luck in getting a successful resolution in 2022 and Ry Krisp back on the shelves!

    Mary

  • Marcy

    OMG–I’ve been missing RyKrisp and finally thought to do some digging to see if they disappeared or where I could buy them. So sorry to hear you’re trying and running up against legal walls. Keep on–we RyKrisp fans are behind you!

  • Karl Zachry

    I still have one box left 🙁
    Every now and then I’ll eat one. (They’re actually still good – I live in a dry climate.)
    Is this really so important to an insurance company? One would think that it would not be worth the legal bills to them.
    I truly admire your perseverance and hope you can continue.
    Please do let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

    • tleavitt Post author

      Karl – We have been surprised many times by the resistance of insurers. One really has to be persistent (and young enough to last 🙂 ). Thanks for the words of support. Ted L

  • Suprina Looney

    Hi Ted-
    I have been checking the site for a couple of years now, following along anxiously awaiting my beloved Ry Krisp’s. So thank you for keeping us posted on the litigation. For sure? When this is over you will be going back into production? I love, love, love my Ry Krisp’s and miss my pizza!! Yep. Instead of buying a pizza pie, I cheese and pepperoni individual Ry Krisp’s, bake in toaster oven for a few minutes and voila! Pizza craving satisfied!

    • tleavitt Post author

      Nothing in life is ever guaranteed, but that would be our hope. Our focus is pretty single-minded on first winning this. Certainly an endurance test…I wonder how long Hercules labored? Thanks, Ted

  • CJ

    I am so disappointed that these amazing crackers are not available and hope they they will be at some point! They are so much better than any other cracker and I believe, much healthier. It’s hard to find anything as good that is fat-free, sugar free, and low in sodium (compared to other crackers.) I won’t be sending my “101 ways to enjoy RyKrisp Crackers” book to anyone that is preventing these from being available! But seriously, in a time when people are looking for healthier snacks, not to mention that jobs would be created, we need RyKrisp crackers. Keep up the good fight!

  • Chris Lane

    Wow. When I looked for ry-krisp the other day (I used to love it, but haven’t thought about it in a long long time) I thought “Well, that’s that.”. How great to see you are still out there fighting the good fight. Being an attorney myself, I can imagine what you are going through. Given the demand for natural and health-conscious snacks, don’t give up. You will be rewarded. I am pulling for you. Cheers!

  • Kelly Brennan

    Well… sure glad I found this site. Now I know WHY I can’t find Nabisco Rye Crisp — seasoned or not! Do you have a substitute brand you recommend that is most similar — at least ‘til y’all are back on the shelves?
    Is the company you’re fighting in Finland?

    • tleavitt Post author

      We are fighting insurers now, trying to collect on a judgement in our favor. It isn’t or wasn’t Nabisco…was ConAgra before being sold to a small group of individuals. Can’t help on the recommendations as we’re a bit unique. WASA is obviously the biggest brand now. Ted L

  • christy lueck

    Just discovered all this information.

    I’m rooting for you to get his all resolved and begin production of that wonderful RyKrisp.You have lots of fans out here.

  • christy lueck

    Love that RyKrisp. I’ll be ordering a lot when this is all resolved. Hope to see it on the shelves soon.
    There are a lot of us fans out here.

  • Patricia Dieu

    It’s Ridiculous that you cannot make the cracker without so many legal attorneys involved! All the other crackers on the market don’t hold up against these.

    • tleavitt Post author

      Sad but true. To be clear, we won our lawsuit and are able to produce but as a small company, adequate funding is critical. The proceeds from said suit are what would enable us to move forward. Legal stuff takes a lot out of companies. Thanks for the good words. Ted

  • Edward

    I need you back I love having your crackers for Passover and I miss them terribly I’ve had these every year for most of my life you got to give them back to me now

  • JT More

    Huge Idaho RyKrisp fan. The accompanied me on many multi day trips over the years, were great at a picnic, home and for entertaining. Unique in taste and texture – have not tried any rye crispbread that is similar.

    Just stumbled on this after a search – sorry about the ongoing legal issues shades of America.

    Good luck – I will certainly be a buyer if you can figure out production!

  • marty

    RyKrisp is still my favorite crispbread from my childhood, there are other brands on the market but they just don’t taste the same… really hoping that if production restarts the products will be the same as they used to be… when hostess shut down their production and a new company restarted months later, the new products were and still are not anything close to what the originals were….

    • tleavitt Post author

      Marty – good post. When I was a kid, I was a Twinkies connoisseur but haven’t had one in 30 years. You have piqued my interest. Will have to try and compare. We did learn lots about what makes RyKrisp unique in our time owning the business. We’d agree that the original formula/method is the way to go. That’s key. Thanks for input. Ted L

  • Ken Y

    I remember sadly as RyKrisp faded from one market after another. Supply ran out long ago.

    There really is no substitute for RyKrisp flavor and texture.

    Hoping you’re back in ’22.

  • Diana Warner

    I hope you can get everything worked out. I miss RyCrisp so much. I have found nothing else to compare to them. Have been waiting a long time for some good news. Hope it happens soon .I’m 78 and don’t know how much longer I can hand on. LOL Diana Warner.

    • tleavitt Post author

      Diana – Wish we could offer good vibes in terms of getting back quickly…it’s obviously been slow already. We have to have a win to do it on our own…we shall see. Thanks for being a long-time fan. Ted L

  • Steph Fylpaa

    Rykrisp is being made and sold somewhere. I recently had some at my brothers house in Northern MN. I live in the Chicago area, what gives, nothing here.

  • C Lapham

    I wish you much success in your court battles……..which, after going through a four-year-long divorce battle, I can appreciate and sympathize with what you are going through. I also want to share my fond memories that I have of your Ry Krisp crackers, and can’t wait to see them back on the shelves. Ry Krisp crackers will always remind me of when me and my sister were younger, and always battling over who would get the Ry Krisp in the cracker basket when ever we went to a restaurant that wasn’t McDonalds. :O) Luckily, most times there were at least two, so both of us were happy campers. We loved spreading them with butter and making sure that every hole in the cracker was filled. It was only when we were older that we realized that the Ry Krisp, even with the butter, was the more healthier alternative to the saltines and various butter-flavored crackers that were in the basket. Again, can’t wait until me and my family can once again enjoy your product and see Ry Krisp on the shelves at our local markets. Thank you.

  • Lostarky

    After a recent move to a new state, I found myself longing for RyKrisps and a good cheddar cheese – a snack that my dad introduced me to many, many years ago. I’ve been searching grocery store shelves for months and only today thought to look online. I’m sorry to learn of this legal trouble, and I hope that all will be resolved so that you all can thrive and we can all enjoy RyKrisps again!

  • Vicky Page

    I just ate some rye crackers from another brand and they just are not the same! I keep checking the grocery shelves to see if, by some chance, Ry Krisp is back…but no such luck. Finally decided to Google “Ry Krisp” and learned to my dismay that the bakery operations shut down in 2015! No wonder the delicious crackers are nowhere to be found. I’m happy to read that you’re doing your best to push forward through this legal process. I sure hope you find success in the near future. I miss my snacks of Ry Krisp, some good cheese, and a nice glass of wine!! Best to you!

  • Dahl Denny

    I’m confused. Are you actually trying to manufacture ry krisp again? BTW… I was a supervisor at Ry Krisp for 15 years up until 1987.

    • tleavitt Post author

      We have been, but can’t without the funding from winning our litigation. Being put out of business back in 2016 stopped us in our tracks (we moved from Minneapolis as we didn’t own the plant). That’s the long and short of it. Thanks for checking in.

  • Steven Kruse

    We are in solidarity with Ry Krisp! If these pesky lawyers ever had this cracker they would know the simple joy it brings to one and all!

  • Lisa

    Dear T Leavitt,
    I am a Minnesota native now living in TN for the past 10 years. I grew up on RyKrisp and miss them terribly!!! I had no idea they had gone out of business and find it par for the course that a legal situation with an insurance company would be the reason any of us RyKrisp lovers have no access to such a great and iconic product. I send you every positive thought, vibe, and wish that this matter will be resolved post haste! Here’s hoping to the 2023 New Year complete with havarti and smoked oysters on RyKrisp…YUM!
    Thank you for all your efforts to keep this Minnesota tradition alive.

  • Paul Schaffrin

    Ry Krisp was always my favorite snack cracker growing up. I’ve been looking everywhere. Trying to find where I can purchase them. And then I found this blog. God I hope they get them going again. It was the best cracker ever made. Goes great with cheddar cheese and hot banana peppers.!

    • tleavitt Post author

      Been out of the market for a number of years due to some manufacturing complexities back in 2016. We’ve been I a legal fight ever since and with success have hoped to get back. Having legal success has been the hard part. Thanks for being a fan and we haven’t given up — it’s a unique and great product. Ted L

  • Michael Rath

    I had a memory tonight about the Ry Krisp vending machines selling crackers for the animals at the petting zoo…. Loved them!

    THought I would give a lively comment… Thanks for all the hard work

  • Matt

    I am a RyKrisp lover. Been following your info for a few years now but haven’t commented before.

    Sounds like a messed-up situation for sure. Never a good situation when Lawyers and courts get involved. I hope you the best!!

    I can only assume that the equipment that was “held hostage” and eventually returned, is very specific and is probably key to the specific process that you refer to as the “methodology of production that make RYKRISP unique”.

    Keep up the good fight! I’ll keep watching from afar and hope for the best.

  • Lisa

    LOVE and Greatly Miss your product. RyKrisp crackers have been a delicious part of our family snacking for years. Its now 2023 and I Hope to see them on the shelves in Sacramento , California SOON I cant wait!

    • Deborah K Carlson

      I’ve wondered what happened to the Ry-Krisp my health conscience-family had on the dinner table nearly every night–and now I know:/ I’m rooting for you! –And trust that when you succeed I’ll be able to provide the same healthy ‘brod’ for my family:) Keep the good fight, Deb C –NE transplant in MN

    • tleavitt Post author

      Read the updates and you’ll get a better idea. It has gone on forever. Apologies from us, but as a small company you need to roll with the punches. It goes back to 2016 when RyKrisp was contract packed and our equipment was taken by our manufacturer over a (relatively) small dispute. We won $8.4 million at a jury trial, but haven’t been able to collect. The funding is critical to our restarting. Sorry for the short summary, but that about sums it up. Ted L

  • Barbara Holmes

    2-26-23 ~ Our family L-O-V-E-S your delicious RY*CRISP!!! I especially love (the memory of) your SEASONED RY*CRISP!!! NO ONE ELSE makes such crackers as you make with rye!!! WE WISH YOU THE VERY, VERY BEST, as you fight the BULLY large insurance company!!! ALL WILL ‘PROFIT’ by YOUR SUCCESS in the MADDENINGLY ONGOING, and UTTERLY DASTARDLY, LAWSUIT!!! MORE POWER TO YOU!!! You have my full attitudinal support!!! Barbara Holmes, Walnut Creek, California

    • Erin

      Oh wait I see posts from 2023, too impatient to scroll all the way down. Golly I hope you can get out of court. Would you still manufacture in Minnesota? I love buying stuff made in my home state. But even its made elsewhere Id happily buy.

      • tleavitt Post author

        We ended up manufacturing in Chicago after leaving MN. The reason we left MN was because we weren’t able to buy the old plant (had more value in alternative uses), but there is no question it is an Upper Midwest product that deserves to be produced in those parts. Ted L

    • tleavitt Post author

      Erin – It has been a slog and not with success at times. We are in the middle of appealing an unfavorable ruling and feeling good about that but legal things are measured in months and years vs days and weeks. Ted L

  • Gabrielle Corson

    Well now it’s 2023 and I’m wondering if there has been any progress in the legal battle to bring Ry Krispy back or not. The other choices of crackers are so inferior to our beloved Ry Krisp. Nothing comes close to their flavor and deliciousness.

    • tleavitt Post author

      Gabrielle – Not much positive progress as of late. The insurer won a round (these things do happen) and we are appealing that call. That process could consume most of this year…unfortunately. Ted L

  • Del Gossen

    I hope, Rye Krisp crackers will be available as soon as possible. Rye Krisp crackers, or an R, my favorite crackers. Nothing else ever compares. Too Rye Krisp I have search for something that I can compare and I never find a nut. I love the taste, and I can not ever believe that it went off the market. I hope they return and I wish you the best that you may return them soon.

  • Del Gossen

    I’ve always loved rye, crisp, crackers, and I wish they would return nothing ever compares to rye crisp. I’ve tried to find something to substitute for them. I never had any luck. Please bring them back. They were the best cracker made.

    • tleavitt Post author

      The sentiment is understood and appreciated. The legal challenges have really made reentry a challenge but we’re still hoping for a win. Brings context to the difficulties of litigation…even if right.

      • Jason Martin

        If you’ve [re]gained legal rights to the production recipe, then why not at least share a home version recipe with us — the true fans of Ry-Krisp? Then, in the meantime, we could at least make small batches for ourselves, something for which might bring Ry-Krisp back into the public consciousness? So then, if word-of-mouth grows from the public, then surely investors would eventually become interested in re-igniting production of the Ry-Krisp brand.

        • tleavitt Post author

          Jason – when we bought the business, we were unfamiliar with the manufacturing process and learned incredible amounts over the year. What we learned is that it is actually the production process that makes the product unique. When you do it yourself, you end up with the “hard tack” type of biscuit. We’ve tried dozens of times. We’re not trying to be cute…that’s the plain truth 🙂