Hector Boiardi was born in Italy in 1898 and took up cooking at a young age. In 1917, he immigrated to New York and began working in the kitchens of hotels.

He later moved to Cleveland, where he opened his own restaurant. Boiardi's restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, became quite popular and patrons began requesting portions to take home. He packaged up uncooked pasta, cheese, and his popular sauce, poured into milk bottles.