Fresh Betty Spaghetti

Betty O’Neill was Irish.

Very Irish. She was known to throw back a few drinks now and again—even into her 90’s—and the punchlines to her jokes could peel the paint off walls. Frankly, fresh-made spaghetti isn’t the First thing that comes to mind when we think of Betty.

But it’s what she was famous for back in her day.

Betty was our great aunt. During World War II, she took a job in a bomber assembly plant in Long Beach, California, while our Great Uncle Vinyl was off Fighting the Nazis. Back then most moms didn’t work outside the home, so the struggle to meet the demands of a full-time job and a growing family was something new to her and the women she worked with.

Out of necessity, Betty prepared all her meals for the day early in the morning. Spaghetti was one of her specialties and Betty didn’t cut corners. She made the noodles by hand—always—and left the sauce to simmer slowly all day while she worked. Her kids loved it. The fact that it was inexpensive and healthy didn’t hurt either.

One day, Betty shared some of her spaghetti with a friend over lunch at the plant. Her friend raved. Pretty soon, everyone at the table wanted a bite…then they wanted a plate of their own. Betty agreed to bring enough for everyone the next day if they would help her pay for the ingredients.

And that’s how it started.

Before long, she was making more money from selling spaghetti than riveting aircraft. Betty was no dummy. She quit her job and began selling spaghetti to grateful workers all over the city, out of Great Uncle Vinyl’s old panel truck.

After the war, Great Uncle Vinyl returned home and the two opened Fresh Betty Spaghetti, a take-out restaurant in Irvine. Betty always said Vinyl just wanted his truck back.

Great Uncle Vinyl left his mark on the operation, so to speak. The neon sign with a pin-up girl holding a plate of spaghetti was his innovation. During the war, he’d fallen in love with pin-up art and believed it would help sell more spaghetti.

So today when you look at our logo and wonder, “What the heck does a pin-up girl have to do with noodles and sauce?” you can thank Great Uncle Vinyl, marketing genius.

If you like our spaghetti, thank Betty.