Jelly Belly's origins trace back to the Goelitz Candy Company, founded in 1869. While Goelitz had a long history of candy making, the distinct "Jelly Belly" brand wasn't born until 1976. This happened when a candy distributor, David Klein, collaborated with Goelitz to create a "gourmet" jelly bean with intense, natural flavors infused throughout both the center and the shell. The first eight flavors, including Very Cherry and Root Beer, quickly gained popularity. A significant boost came from President Ronald Reagan, who was a devoted fan, famously keeping jars of Jelly Belly beans on his desk and even sending them into space on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
