SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are just about the oldest rivalry in football. The Packers have been pretty dominant in recent years. They've emphasized this by donning cheese-headed foam rubber hats. Well, I guess that counts as stylish in Eau Claire. But this year, the Bears shredded their cheesy rivals, not only in the wild card playoff round, but with their own foam hat, a cheese grater. They're manufactured by Foam Party Hats, a company in Texas owned by Grace and Manuel Rojas, who are a mother and son, who join us now. Thank you both very much for being with us.
MANUEL ROJAS: Thank you so much, Scott.
GRACE ROJAS: Thanks.
SIMON: How did you come up with this idea for a cheese grater hat?
M ROJAS: We have our own rivalry with the Packers.
SIMON: You mean there in Houston. Yeah.
M ROJAS: Correct. Correct. So, we received a cease and desist letter from the Green Bay Packers because we used to make a cheese hat that we used to sell online really well. And, you know, we - because of the attention, the Packers sent us a cease and desist letter. So we had to take it down. We couldn't fight them because the lawyers are going to be too expensive. And that's when my mom and I just came up with the idea of the cheese grater...
SIMON: (Laughter).
M ROJAS: ...As a rebellion against the Packers.
SIMON: Oh, my word. Oh, that's wonderful. You're originally from Venezuela, right?
M ROJAS: That is correct. So we have been living in the U.S. since 2010.
SIMON: How did you get into - (laughter) - I've never asked this question before. How did you get into the foam rubber hat business?
M ROJAS: It all started off - like, my mom, she's the creative genius behind all of the different products that we do. She has designed more than 800, 900 different hats. The whole idea started back in Venezuela in, I would say, the 2000s, so around 2002, whatnot. And my mom - she wanted to make something different and something fun for my sister's wedding. She came up with - like, you know, she bought some foam and then designed the first foam party hats. And then after that, you know, people in Venezuela started buying it directly from her because they were a huge success at the wedding. And then, of course, we moved in 2010 to Houston, and fast-forward 2017, we create the Foam Party Hats. And, you know, now with the virality of the cheese grater hats, we - you know, the business is booming, and we're really happy and grateful with everything that's going on.
SIMON: Yeah. I mean, if I may speak to the designer. It's like talking to Coco Chanel.
M ROJAS: (Laughter).
SIMON: You are the Coco Chanel of cheese grater hats.
G ROJAS: Yes, yes, yes (laughter). Every day, I made some design and...
M ROJAS: She's too humble. She...
G ROJAS: Yeah. My English is not so good (laughter).
SIMON: Coco Chanel was humble, too. I get a little wispy. You are a great American success story. I mean, you come to the United States. You found your own business. You're a huge success. You're important to people. It's great.
G ROJAS: Yes. I started making some hats, and I did a website in 2010, and I started selling all the world. I was a here in the United States, and I sell hat for Australia, Europe, Spain - different places at the beginning.
SIMON: Yeah. So that's the reason I decided to jump into the business because I know - I was in the house, and at some point, she told me, oh, you know, I'm making these hats for Australia. And I was like, what do you mean, like, you're making hats for Australia? So yeah, and then that's why we decided to make the hats. But going back to your point, yeah, definitely. Like, we're happy to be here and then, you know, see all the success and the story behind it has been wonderful to say the least.
SIMON: Well, I - it's been wonderful to talk with both of you. Thanks very much.
M ROJAS: Well, Scott, thank you so much. And well, let's go Bears. Bear down.
G ROJAS: Go Bears (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS")
CHICAGO SYMPHONY CHORUS: (Singing) Bear down, Chicago Bears. Make every play clear the way to... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
