Kennedy Gourmet began in 1989 in Nacogdoches , Texas . Fudge was the only confection manufactured at that time. As the product line expanded, so did the need for additional manufacturing space. The company moved to a larger facility in Longview , Texas . As the company grew so did the need for even more space. Kennedy Gourmet made the move to a new 20,000 square foot facility in Kilgore , Texas . By 1996 Kennedy Gourmet had two expansions, which brought the total square footage to 40,000 square feet.

Kennedy Gourmet had grown from a single item in 1989 to a large variety of specialty foods, confections and drink mixes by 1995. Its customer base grew to over 10,000 active accounts all over the world. Its products have been seen in newspapers, magazines and national televisions shows.

In March 2002, Kennedy Gourmet was sold to a company in Houston , Texas . The new owner left all manufacturing in place in Kilgore. All of the Kennedy Gourmet products are still made with tender loving care by many of the same employees that have been there for over a decade. Much of the office duties were moved to the new corporate office in Houston where it finds itself in good company with other specialty food companies such as Brazos Legends and Texas Tamale Company to name a couple.