Here's How Many Honey Baked Ham Locations Are Left

Ham is a holiday tradition for many families, and for some, honey baked ham has been a mainstay for the main course for decades. But is The Honey Baked Ham Company (as it's now referred to) too hard to find these days? Surprisingly, the retailer may have more locations than you think. Currently, there are more than 400 year-round retail locations in over 40 states across the United States, and more outlets pop up around the holidays. The chain is definitely more popular in some areas of the country than others, and is big in the south. The state with the highest number of stores is Georgia, with a respective 44 locations. Florida has 42 locations. Ohio and Texas are tied for third place, with 37 stores each. Pittsburgh has the most locations in one city, with four stores.

Honey Baked Ham has a long history. In the 1930s, Harry J. Hoenselaar created the first spiral slicing machine for ham and had it patented in 1944. In 1957, he opened the first Honey Baked Ham location in Detroit, Michigan. Hoenselaar's special curing and cooking procedures gave the bone-in smoked ham a unique taste, all topped off with a sweet and crunchy glaze. It wasn't long before the hams became a popular holiday centerpiece. The same processes are still used today by the chain to create tasty hams.

Honey Baked Ham is in the midst of a bit of a revival. While their core products aren't changing, the company, which continues to be family owned, has updated their logo with a new color scheme. The brand is also trying to grow their franchises. Most states are available for new franchise owners to open a location, except for a few, including Montana, Wyoming, New York, Maine, and Vermont. 

It's not all just holiday hams that keeps Honey Baked Ham going decade after decade. At their locations, you can place a catering order, shop for various items, and grab lunch. The retailer serves up ham and cheese sandwiches (of course), but also has turkey sandwiches, salads, and sides that perfectly compliment ham, like green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. A big part of the company's business is mail order meals. Even if you live in a state with no retail locations, you can order a succulent ham to feed a crowd, plus other items for a complete meal. The ham is shipped frozen, but don't worry, The Honey Baked Ham Company shares guidelines  for thawing, so you know the exact time you need to start thawing ham for Easter, for example. Ordering from Honey Baked Ham Company also takes the guesswork out of figuring out how much ham you should allot each dinner guest!