Manuel Rojas, the owner of a company called Foam Party Hats, said his life has changed in a month, and a lot of it has to do with the Chicago Bears.
“We’re hiring more people. We have started overnight shifts,” Rojas said. “Financially, we’re doing great, and it will open a lot more doors for us.”
Rojas started Foam Party Hats with his mother after receiving an investment on the TV show “Shark Tank.”
Initially, he created a cheesehead foam hat, but the Green Bay Packers sent him a cease-and-desist.
His response?
To make a cheese grater hat.
He had no idea it would resonate with Chicagoans.
“For us, it’s a story of David and Goliath,” he said. “Because even if we continue making the cheese heads, it would have never been what we’re doing right now with the cheese graters.”
Rojas’ business is booming after the Bears’ stunning fourth-quarter comeback over Green Bay during the Wild Card round – though sales haven’t slowed since the Bears defeated the Packers on Dec. 20.
Not only are fans wearing the iconic hat, players are as well. Major retailers like Rallyhouse and Jewel-Osco are buying mass quantities to sell to customers.
The grater head hat has become a symbol of resilience, not only for Rojas, but for the Chicago Bears, too.
Rojas and his mother came to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2010. He said he truly feels like he’s living the American Dream and couldn’t be more grateful.