Meet Kelly Schexnaildre of Merfs Condiments in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Schexnaildre.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started Merfs Condiments in January 2014 because I didn’t want to go to graduate school or wait tables for the rest of my life. I started cooking at the tender age of seven, and through experimentation and creativity, I discovered that I was excellent at making sauces of all kinds. At the time I started Merfs there were two kinds of hot sauce commercially available: Huy Fong Sriracha and thin, runny vinegar-y sauces like Tabasco, Cholula, and Tapatio. I was honestly tired of the selection and knew that hot sauce could be so much more than these. I set out to create hot sauces that will add real quality to any dish, that are made with local produce, and without preservatives or extra junk. Even though I worked in restaurants for 12 years, I still had no idea what it would take to start a food manufacturing company. I started researching and asking questions, and here we are 5.5 years later. The first three years were really tough: it’s a near constant, “I don’t know what I’m doing, where do I go from here?” I hustled as hard as I could and cold called my way into my first 110 wholesale accounts. Now, we’ve got over 400 wholesale accounts and counting.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There’s no such thing as a smooth road for anybody. I struggled the most with confidence in what I was doing. It was hard for me to believe that I had a right to take up space in the Denver food scene, that Merfs was legitimate, and that people would like my products. When I first started, there was a lot of rejection, and cold calling really opens you up to that. You have to hear people saying no because you’re a tiny company and they’re a little worried you might not be able to fill their order. But I persisted, and people started to believe in me because I consistently delivered what I was promising: delicious, local hot sauce.

The other thing that’s hard about starting a company? The 80+ hour work weeks for the first few years. I was working Merfs 40-60 hours a week to get it off the ground, and working at a restaurant (or two) at night for 20+hours a week to pay my bills. There were stretches of time where I’d have one day off in 6-7 weeks. It was absolutely brutal. Not everyone is cut out for that kind of sacrifice.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Merfs Condiments – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Merfs Condiments is a hot sauce company, and we make seven different flavors of hot sauce here in Colorado: Electric Lime (jalapeno lime), Hand Grenade (pineapple sriracha), Jamberry (berry sriracha), Fool’s Paradise (mango ghost pepper), Dancing Queen (guajillo chipotle), Chipotle Joe (coffee cherry chipotle), and Peaches + Scream (superhot, peach/mango carolina reaper). We are known for Electric Lime– most people who talk about Merfs talk about how much they love this product. It is our most popular hot sauce by a long shot.

What sets Merfs Condiments apart from other companies is our focus on providing affordable, quality food products. We are so tired of having to pay extra to eat clean, wholesome foods. Merfs’ hot sauces will always be affordable, no matter what.

We are so proud to source our fresh peppers from Lulu’s Farm in Brighton, Colorado. It’s important for us to support the local community, and we do that by donating products for auctions at multiple non-profit, charitable, and other organizations around Colorado. We also partnered with Pablo’s Coffee to create our Chipotle Joe Hot Sauce that uses Danger Monkey dark roast coffee, cherries, and chipotle meco to create a uniquely delicious, dangerously tasty hot sauce.

Our company culture is focused on serving the work through inclusivity, honesty + trust, clear communication, and ethical decision making.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our plans for the future include continued expansion in the regional West through both foodservice and grocery, while maintaining product quality, continuing to offer competitive, low prices, and having fun. We plan to grow at a rate that we can keep up with in house so that we never have to sacrifice quality or giveaway equity for capital.

Pricing:

• $5.49 each King Soopers
• $5-7 Smaller grocery stores
• Look out for giveaways/freebies/discounts on our website

Contact Info:

• Website: www.merfscondiments.com
• Phone: 720-979-9802
• Email: inquiries@merfscondiments.com
• Instagram: merfscondiments
• Facebook: merfscondiments
• Twitter: merfscondiments
• Yelp: n/a

Image Credit:
Mcleod9Creative

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