In 2015, Jose Juarez’s wife pushed him to film an audition tape to be America’s Next Grill Star. After a little nudging, he sent off a tape thinking nothing would come of it.
But Jose heard back from Live with Kelly and Ryan, asking him to be on the show as a semifinalist. He grilled on national TV, asking the producer to get rid of the queue cards so he could talk to the audiences like they were friends in his backyard.
Jose, or the Barbacuban as he’s sometimes called, ended up winning the title and $10,000 for his unique sauce and expert grilling.
After the competition ended, Jose and his sauce had their five minutes of fame. He was invited to grill at charity events, for Rick Scott, and more. With the momentum and prize money from his win, Jose decided to turn his hot sauce into a business.
With some strategic business thinking and endurance, 455 Sauce is now available to people across the country. You can buy Jose’s sauces online or in stores around Ocala and Gainesville.
His original, contest-winning sauce is accompanied by newer additions. Jose sees online orders coming in from customers in his home based of Ocala to households across the U.S.
Jose’s 5 minutes of fame just keep rolling. Though he never thought he’d start a hot sauce business, he’s happy to share his unique flavor combinations with the world.
Hear all about Jose’s journey of entrepreneurship, grilling, and great-tasting sauce on the 163rd episode of the WHOA GNV podcast!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6U7tYvp1jg