Payday (confection)

Payday was first introduced in 1932 by Hollywood Candy Company and got its name because it was first produced on payday at the company. Payday was marketed during the Great Depression as a meal replacement because of its dense peanut outer layer.^[9] Headed by Frank Martoccio, who had founded the F.A. Martoccio Macaroni Company, Hollywood also produced the Zero bar, originally called the Double Zero when first released in 1920.^[10] In 1938, Hollywood moved to Centralia, Illinois. In 1967, the Martoccio family sold Hollywood Brands to Consolidated Foods, which later became Sara Lee. Fire destroyed the Centralia plant in 1980. Production of the Payday bar continued with help from the L.S. Heath and Sons Company until a new facility could be constructed. In 1988, Hollywood Brands was acquired by the Leaf Candy Company and then later became part of The Hershey Company in 1996 via its acquisition of Leaf North America.^[11]

Payday was named the #3 candy bar in the 2019 LA Times Candy Bar Power Rankings.^[12]

Peanut-dense Payday bars were introduced in 1932 when candy bars were often viewed as meal replacements.^[9] Variations of the classic Payday have included a glazed honey limited edition in 2003 and the Payday Pro, a high protein energy bar, in 2005.^[13] For a promotion in 1989, Payday candy bars each contained an individually wrapped nickel.^[14]

Payday has a long history of offering chocolate-covered bars in its product line. In the 1980s, when owned by Sara Lee, there was a chocolate-covered Payday. The Hershey Company has produced a limited version of chocolate PayDay in 2006^[15] and the Payday Chocolatey Avalanche in 2007, which was later discontinued.^[16] In August 2020, Hershey's released the Chocolatey Payday candy bar as a permanent part of the product line.^[17]