K-VA-T Revives Chuck Wagon

ABINGDON, Va. — K-VA-T Food Stores has reintroduced Chuck Wagon dog food as a proprietary brand.

“We reinvented the classic Chuck Wagon dog dinner with a taste that’s sure to make your dog come running,” K-VA-T writes in promotional materials.

Once marketed by Purina, Chuck Wagon is widely known for television commercials in the 1970s showing a miniature horse-drawn chuck wagon racing through a living room in front of the dog to get him to eat. The brand was subsequently phased out.

2012 SN Top 75: K-VA-T Ranks No. 55

Chuck Wagon is available in about 10 stockkeeping units, including 13- and 33-pound bags of dog dinner, selling for $6.99 and $16.99, respectively; jerky sticks, 25 ounces, $9.99, and large dog biscuits, 4-pound bag, $5.99.

Chuck Wagon joins K-VA-T’s “legacy” brands, regional favorites that were discontinued and then reintroduced by  K-VA-T as a private brand. K-VA-T registers the brands with the Federal Trade Commission, reformulates them when necessary and then keeps them as its own.

Other K-VA-T legacy brands include Kay’s Ice Cream, Terry’s Snack Foods, and more recently, the Banana Flip snack cake.

While legacy brands are sold exclusively in K-VA-T stores, the chain has considered distributing them to other retailers.