Today we’d like to introduce you to Josie Murphy.
Josie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I launched Josie’s Foods because of the many requests for the recipe for my potato salad.
Potato Salad is one of my favorite foods but I could not find a packaged or deli one that I liked.
They either had too much mustard or too much mayonnaise so I created a potato salad that is not overpowering with either one. Soon I was taking it to family gatherings and everywhere it was served, there was never any left. Everyone wanted the recipe and more than a few people suggested that I market it so I set out trying to sell to small delis and grocery stores. The logistics of packaging and trying to keep a refrigerated product safe to eat was very daunting and expensive so my husband, Elwood, seeing what a difficult process it was, suggested that I bottle it. After many hours of developing a bottled dressing formula, I came up with the perfect solution without sacrificing the taste. I named the first dressing Josie’s Bistro Original and the second one became Josie’s Bistro Chipotle. Subsequently, I added pasta to the name at the suggestion of a friend because they both make wonderful pasta salads as well.
I contacted three co-packers to bottle and package the dressings but even with my formula, none of them could duplicate the recipes to taste the way I wanted. I had to become a food processor and manufacturer, not because I wanted to but because I wanted my dressings to taste like they do when I make them for myself and my family.
Everything happens for a reason so hindsight lets me see that this was the best thing that could have happened during this time because I was forced to learn every phase of the process flow for myself.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the most challenging things for me was reformulating the recipe and totally changing the formula from a refrigerated product to a shelf stable bottled product. Finding commercial kitchen space to lease was another challenge.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Josie’s Foods – what should we know?
Josie’s Foods, Inc. is a woman and minority owned and operated business that I started because people love my potato salad. I like to say that I started in the mailroom and ended up as president and CEO of the company by learning every aspect of the operation from ground level up.
I make hand-crafted, gourmet potato and pasta salad dressings. Making delicious potato and pasta salad is as easy as 1-2-3 with both Original and Chipotle dressings. There is no guesswork because all of the ingredients are in the jar. All that’s needed is to boil, chop and mix your main ingredient with the dressings. The uniqueness of the tastes of these dressings and the concept of making them your own is what sets Josie’s Bistro Dressings apart from anything out there on the market today.
We also bottle both dressings in 1 gallon containers for restaurant and deli sales.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First of all, God is my source so I give Him credit for giving me wisdom and for putting me in contact with the right people at the right time. Then there is Bill Weddle, the director at Bill J. Priest Institute in Dallas and Leslie Connally, Risk Assessment Consultant at Bill Priest as well.
I spent countless hours with the two of them helping me go from ground level to top floor. Of course, without my husband, Elwood Murphy, I might still be trying to sell ready-made potato salad and would not have come up with the concept of a bottled dressing and my daughter Ashley, who encourages me to keep going, always telling me “keep at it mom, I’m proud of you.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.josiesfoods.com
- Phone: (214) 770-5724
- Email: sales@josiesfood.com
- Facebook: Facebook.com/josiesgourmetdressings
- Twitter: @JosiesFoods
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