A year and half ago when I first sat down with Jay Ducote, he told me his story of how he got started in the blogging world and rose to be a prominent food blogger in the South. He also mentioned a barbecue sauce that he was working on. Well, he’s kept his word because a couple weeks ago he launched his magnificent Louisiana Barbecue Sauce to retail stores in Baton Rouge. Between managing a popular food blog, radio show, and launching a new product, he also competed on Food Networks Cutthroat Kitchen recently.

I had the pleasure to hangout with Jay at his stylish office in Baton Rouge to talk about his experiences launching his first retail product.

Continue reading Jay Ducote 2: Bite & Booze &… Barbecue (The DOcast) →

In a world of great gourmet foods and options, Mark Ramadan discovered that ketchup has always been just ketchup. Mark, and friend Scott Norton, had the idea to make a better ketchup than the standard highly processed brand on the market. While still in college the two cooked up a mess in their apartment (photo) and decided to have a party amongst friends to see if this idea had legs — It did. Over a period of 6 years, they grew their company, Sir Kensington’s — maker of gourmet condiments like ketchup (spiced ketchup is legit), mustard, and mayo — into over 4,000 retail stores and over 350 restaurants/hotels nationwide.

I had the pleasure to talk with Mark (via Skype) from his office in New York, NY to talk about what it really takes to grow a company. If you’re a food entrepreneur, you can’t afford to miss this.

Continue reading Mark Ramadan: Ketchup with Food Industry, Fast (The DOcast) →