Newest layer in the Packers-Bears rivalry? Cheese grater hats

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- DJ Moore was mobbed by teammates as he made his way to the middle of the locker room moments after the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime on Dec. 20 to earn their 11th win of the season.

Head coach Ben Johnson handed Moore the game ball -- his second in as many weeks -- and the receiver danced as Lil Wayne's "Go DJ" was cued up from the mega speaker behind him.

The object atop Moore's head swayed back and forth as the celebration began. It was symbolic. The 28-year-old wide receiver had just shredded Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon in the end zone at Soldier Field while hauling in a 46-yard touchdown in overtime to seal the 22-16 victory for the Bears.

So naturally, Moore sported a giant foam hat in the shape of a cheese grater, a troll-worthy ode to the triangular yellow cheeseheads worn by Packers fans for decades.

"I didn't know what that was honestly until the day after," tight end Cole Kmet said. "I saw DJ wearing that in the locker room and I couldn't tell what it was. But good for the guy, whoever made that. I'm sure he's doing pretty well right now."

Kmet is right. Business is booming for Foam Party Hats, the company based out of Houston that created the cheese grater hats that have since gone viral.

Manuel Rojas, the company's CEO and founder, woke up the morning after the Packers-Bears game to a barrage of emails and text messages with the video of Moore dancing while wearing a giant cheese grater on his head.

"Pardon my English, but it was an 'oh s---' moment," Rojas said. "I knew it was going to be something really, really big."

Foam Party Hats began as the dream of Grace Rojas, Manuel's mother, in their native Caracas, Venezuela. Grace has designed and created every one of the company's 700 products by hand using cardboard, foam and a hot knife to make her ideas come to life.

What began as Grace's desire to wear something fun and festive during the "Hora Loca" at her daughter's wedding became a full-fledged business venture after mother and son emigrated to the United States more than 15 years ago. In 2017, Manuel used his mother's vision to launch Foam Party Hats.

The company, which now has 23 full-time employees, got its big break during the COVID-19 pandemic when Grace and Manuel were invited to be a part of the 12th season of "Shark Tank," the popular TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to investors in hopes of securing capital and mentorship in exchange for equity in their company.

From cheese graters to giant bananas to giant Marie Antoinette wigs, Foam Party Hats has a design for every occasion. And one that got them into hot water several years ago when the Packers sent Foam Party Hats a cease-and-desist letter, claiming their cheesehead design was too similar to the trademarked hat sold by the team.

Instead of entering a legal battle with an NFL franchise, Foam Party Hats put its efforts into growing its inventory elsewhere, like with a cheese grater hat that has quickly become a best seller.

One day after Moore made the cheese grater hat go viral, quarterback Caleb Williams wore one as he handed out boxes of food at his foundation's holiday giveaway event. Since then, Foam Party Hats has received over 7,000 orders from fans and had several major retailers reach out in hopes of distributing their product. The company has completely sold out of its cheese grater stock and is on back order until at least March.

And it's not just Bears fans who have taken notice. At least one Packers player caught a glimpse of the hats that are expected to be throughout Soldier Field on Saturday night.

"That ain't got nothing to do with me," wide receiver Jayden Reed said.

As the Packers and Bears gear up for their third meeting this season and third meeting ever in the playoffs when Chicago hosts Green Bay in the wild-card round (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Rojas now has a vested interest in the game.

"After this, I'm a huge Bears fan," Rojas said. "I got my DJ Moore shirt already. I never had a reason to be a football fan because I didn't grow up with it [in Venezuela] or watching the games, but now I have an excuse to do it."