Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry McKnight.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a youth growing up in Oak Cliff, I’ve always had a connection to food and family. I learned to cook at an early age, and quickly became curious about food from other cultures. My exploration of “soul food” led me to discover food from places like Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Of course, the American South is home and the flavors of the food are familiar, but I wanted to create soul food fusion in my dishes and sauces.
I started cooking for friends and family, and it grew into some catering offers. My love for food led me to food blogging, and I created Real Soul Food Lovers in 2013. I wanted to expose real food coming from real kitchens via social media. At the time, food porn was taking off and it was a perfect marriage… my background in mass media, distribution, promotions and marketing and my love of food!
In late 2014, I decided to create my own sauce to put on greens, beans, chicken, fish, etc. I wanted to make something that would take the dishes up a notch, and our “almost famous ” Green Pepper Sauce was born! It was truly a labor of love!
Using social media as a primary marketing tool, our Soul Food Family across the country purchased it and the business grew through online sales. We had a true grassroots, organic start and build to our business and are truly humbled by the success.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been easy. My biggest challenge was overcoming the naysayers. No one wanted to take a chance on a small, local brand. People are accustomed to big, familiar brands of traditional hot sauces. They are usually red, but my sauce was green, and that left a lot of doubt for certain consumers. However, I remained persistent because I knew I had a stellar product.
Real Soul Food Lovers – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Well, we primarily manufacture and distribute hot sauces. We are known for our Green Pepper Sauce. We have several other sauces in the line and some seasonings as well. In addition, we offer wholesale opportunities, and customizations for restaurants, caters, and chefs.
Recently, we ramped up the catering side of our business to satisfy our follower’s curiosity. Our sauce isn’t the only thing we’re good at!
We are proud of the brand’s growth and unlimited potential. We are extremely proud to be the F.U.B.U. (for us, by us) of the hot sauce industry.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This past December, we were able to open a shop in the Grow Desoto Market Place to create a brand store. A place where our local customers can come by and pick up their favorite sauces and seasonings. We continue to do small batch, an artisanal product so our quality is always superior. Our growth in Dallas/Ft. Worth is very important to our brand and we love being a small business in our own back yard!
Contact Info:
- Address: 324 E. Beltline Rd.
Suite 612 - Website: www.realsoulfoodlovers.com
- Email: sales@realsoulfoodlovers.com
- Instagram: @realsoulfoodloversdallas
- Facebook: Real Soul Food Lovers Dallas
- Twitter: @realsoulfoodloversdallas
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/real-soul-food-lovers-desoto
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