It was never my intention to join the hot sauce industry. I was always a passionate cook and enthusiastic consumer. After a year and a half at a small culinary school, I found immense joy in cooking, though I never imagined myself working in a commercial kitchen or creating food products. In 2012, I was at Whole Foods with a friend when I met a man demonstrating his hot sauce at a booth. Instantly rocked by the flavor, I bought six bottles that day and continued to purchase it weekly, even sending it to friends. On one occasion, I called the owner to suggest that the recipe was off and missing xanthan gum. While he didn’t appreciate the critique, we remained friendly.
Fast forward to 2017, and I found that my beloved sauce was no longer on the shelves. I scoured Amazon and various hot sauce websites but came up empty-handed. During the pandemic, business was slow, so I resumed my search. I discovered the registered agent for the old company on the Secretary of State’s website and contacted the previous owner through his father. When we reconnected, he explained that he had sold the company to a group in New York who couldn’t make it work, leading the product to disappear.
I pleaded with him to restart the company, but he had moved on from that market. After sharing the story with friends, they suggested I revive the company myself. So, in 2023, I finally purchased the recipe and rights, embarking on my unexpected journey into the hot sauce business.