The One Hundred Thousand Dollar Bar was created largely due to the craze for game shows in the 1950’s. On the "Big Surprise", one of the first trivia shows, the contestant chose a subject area and was asked to answer questions ranging in value from $100 to $100,000.

Due to the success of the “Big Surprise”, Nestle decided to launch the 100 Grand Bar to take advantage of the popularity of the successful television program.