It’s an unassuming story about one of America’s most beloved breakfast items. If you’ve watched Unfrosted: The Pop Tart Story, you might be wondering where Bob Cabana is now. When in actuality, you might be wondering where William Post is now.
Unfrosted: The Pop Tart Story was written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld (in his directorial debut) and stars Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer. The film uncovers the true story behind the space race of breakfast foods between Kellogg’s and Post in the 1960s. Though it may sound too good to be true for a battle of the foods, a lot of the story is faithful to the real thing even if they had to make up names in the long run.
“Parody protects you with most of it,” Seinfeld told Variety. “Thurl Ravenscroft was the real name of the guy who played Tony the Tiger — I knew I wasn’t going to beat that. Harold von Braunhut did invent Sea-Monkeys. But what did this lawyer tell us? “If people are dead, it’s much harder for them to sue you.”
Seinfeld plays the whimsical Bob Cabana who invented the beloved Pop Tart. Read below on who Bob Cabana really is and how he carried on the Pop Tart legacy.
Who is Bob Cabana in real life?
Bob Cabana was based on Keeble’s employee William Post, who doesn’t have any relation to the Post company despite his name. He worked at the Hekman’s Biscuit Company Plant (later Keebler) since he was 21 and was approached by Kellogg’s to conceptualize a new breakfast treat. He came up with the genius plan to put frosting outside of the tart and the product sold out immediately locally. Post also helped invent other products including Nutri-Grain bars and Rice Krispies Treats.
He moved to Illinois to become senior vice president of Keebler and continued to contribute when Kellogg’s acquired the company. He retired from the role in 2007, but continued to talk to students about his success story as a child of immigrants and inventing an iconic treat. He even had them fully stocked in his car (with the license plate POP TART) to give to the students for free.
Pop Tarts continues to be a sucess with over 20 million being sold each year.
Where is William Post now?
William Post died of heart failure on February 24, 2024 at the age of 96. “He played an important role in co-creating the iconic Pop-Tarts brand and we are grateful to Bill for his legacy and lasting contributions to our company,” a statement said.
Even up until his death, he wouldn’t take full credit for the invention of the Pop Tart. “Bill would say, ‘I assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a fine product that we could bring to market in the span of just four months’,” reads his obituary.
