Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Davis.
Hi Kendra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am an Orlando native. I was born and raised here! I graduated from UCF in 2018 with my bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in writing and rhetoric. For several years, I was the store manager of some resale clothing stores and then moved into the beauty industry and currently manage a holistic skincare spa in College Park. The combination of my classes at UCF and my experience running other’s people businesses pushed me towards wanting to run my own business, and I have always wanted to; I did not know what or when. My dad has always said I have an ‘entrepreneurial spirit.’ 2020 brought on a lot of change for everyone. For me, it was a time of self-reflection and really wanting to figure out what was most important during my time on this Earth. With the onset of the mandatory COVID closures at the beginning of the year in March, the spa I worked at was closed and I was essentially out of work for who knows how long, and I had a lot of time and a big backyard. So, I started a garden. In my garden, my hot peppers flourished, and I soon had way more than I knew what to do with! I thought about what I could do with all my hot peppers from my garden, and it struck me to make a pepper sauce.
A lot of my close friends are from the West Indies and the Caribbean Islands, and I was inspired by their incredible pepper sauces that I had eaten in Barbados or from their families in Trinidad. There is nothing quite like those flavors or textures of sauces that you can buy here in the U.S., so I made my own with their influence in mind. I started giving some to my family and friends to try and they LOVED it! Thus, Kendy’s Pepper Sauce was born. I have been vegan/ plant-based for several years now, and cooking is a passion of mine. I want to ensure that my sauce flavors are always vegan, gluten-free, and all-natural. I also focus on sustainability using locally sourced ingredients, supporting local farms and other small businesses while using compostable and recycled materials when I can.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road, but that is okay!! The best things in life are worth the struggle and hard work. It is a constant learning process because so many things come into play to ensure everything is up to my high standards of quality. After all, I do it all myself at this point, from production to bottling & labeling, to shipping or delivery, to website and social media management and content creation, to the sauce ending up on your food! Specifically, we are lucky in FL to have a warmer climate so that I can still get access to ingredients year-round. I have been lucky to have so many small business owners help me in the process as well and genuinely want to pass on what they have learned from their mistakes and being a small business. I am so grateful to the people who want to help you succeed as a small business!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Kendy’s Pepper Sauce is a thick hot sauce inspired by the flavors of the Caribbean islands. It has a base of jalapeno and habanero peppers, mixed with mango, garlic, lime, curry, onions, cilantro, and a blend of spices. It is more flavor than spice but has the perfect kick and chunky texture to top so many different foods, use as a marinade, or an ingredient to add in curries or soups. We have literally tried it on everything at this point, tacos, sushi, breakfast foods, in waffle batter, on grilled cheeses and sandwiches, burgers, you name it! We make it in small batches and use locally sourced ingredients. Are formulas or vegan, gluten-free, and all-natural so no artificial flavors or preservatives. We ship in compostable mailers and focus on sustainability. I started Kendy’s Pepper Sauce with my friends and family in spirit. I sourced my flavors and ingredients based on what I know and learned about authentic pepper sauces from the Islands where many of my friends and their families are from, mixed with my passion for food and cooking I gained from my mother and father.
Food is important to me as it was the one thing that would bring my family together, growing up. I was lucky that my mom made dinner almost every night, and no matter what, we would come together and eat together as a family at the dinner table and talk about our day. I think that has been my favorite thing so far is hearing how much people love the sauce and want to share it with their friends and family while supporting small businesses. I had a friend’s mom call me and explain her sons call her all the time to tell her when they are out of sauce and they want more Kendy’s Pepper Sauce. If I can get someone to pick up the phone and call their mom, even just for sauce, that is perfectly fine with me. I am looking into expanding with more flavors and offerings, I know a lot of people like mild/sweet sauces and some who want even more heat, so I am experimenting with some different flavors as we speak!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Yes, that nothing is permanent and support and community go a long way. My whole venture into Kendy’s Pepper Sauce would not have been possible without the COVID-19 crisis. I wouldn’t have spent the time necessary to reflect on what more I wanted out of this life and chase my passions, nor would I have been pushed into working on my garden or starting my business. I was also happily overwhelmed with the support from friends, family. and other small business owners.
Pricing:
- 5 oz bottles are $8
- Travel size bottles are $5
- Shipping is $7 or free over $50 purchases
Contact Info:
- Email: info@kendyspeppersauce.com
- Website: www.kendyspeppersauce.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendyspeppersauce/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendyspeppersauce
Image Credits
Kendra Davis
