Highlight: How Sarge’s Shrimp and Grits Sauce Discovered Its Area of interest

Some companies provide many services or products, whereas others concentrate on doing one factor rather well. Sarge’s Shrimp and Grits Sauce is an instance of the latter. The area of interest firm began as a meals truck after which pivoted to concentrate on one high quality product. Learn extra in regards to the enterprise on this week’s Small Enterprise Highlight.

What the Enterprise Does

Presents specialised meals merchandise.

Founder Julius West informed Small Enterprise Traits, “We provide the one pre-made shrimp and grit sauce at present available on the market. As well as, we have now our personal line of Yellow Stone Floor Grits together with a Seafood Seasoning.”

Enterprise Area of interest

Providing the one product of its form.

West says, “After seven years of serving our well-known shrimp and grits from our meals truck we have now now introduced the identical nice recipe proper into your kitchen. We’ve taken the guess work out of creating an important shrimp and grits sauce.”

How the Enterprise Obtained Began

Out of a meals truck.

West provides, “Shrimp and grits have been the #1 vendor on the truck. Our prospects have been continually asking the way to make shrimp and grits. In 2019, my spouse determined that we must always jar the sauce so that everybody might get pleasure from this restaurant-quality dish of their dwelling with minimal effort.”

Greatest Win

Stepping into a serious grocery store chain.

West says, “Our product is accessible in 267 Harris Teeter supermarkets in 7 states within the southeast. Being in a grocery store chain has given our enterprise credibility.”

Greatest Problem

Pivoting to a brand new enterprise mannequin.

West explains, “After 7 years of arduous work working the meals truck, my crew (my household) wished a break. I made a decision to search for employment, and after 4 interviews and a cooking check with Wegmans Grocery retailer chain, I used to be supplied a administration place at a dwelling wage…which we accepted. We have been making ready to shut the enterprise when the provide was rescinded because of my 25-year-old felony conviction.

He provides, “We have been devastated, however we took that as an indication that we have been to proceed with the enterprise as God had extra in retailer for us. We have been in a position to keep in enterprise by shifting our focus to advertising and marketing the sauce, which allowed my household to search out different employment.”

How They’d Spend an Additional $100,000

Bettering their advertising and marketing and product choices.

West says, “If I had an additional 100,000 I’d use it to for a brand new web site, advertising and marketing marketing campaign together with a social media supervisor and use further funds to rent a meals scientist to develop a freeze drying course of for our product to remove excessive delivery prices.We might additionally take a look at analysis and improvement to have the ability to break into the meals service trade.”

Firm Namesake

The founder’s father.

West provides, “Our enterprise is known as in honor of my dad who was a sergeant within the Air drive. Everybody calls me (his son) the sergeant however the actual reality is my spouse is the Captain.”

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Picture: Sarge’s, Julius West

This text, “Spotlight: How Sarge’s Shrimp and Grits Sauce Found Its Niche” was first printed on Small Business Trends