Some sauces add flavor. Others add history, passion, and a little bit of magic. For two Midwestern makers, Chico’s Gourmet Sauces and Red Eye Hot Sauce, a jar of sauce is more than a condiment. It’s the story of where they came from, the values they carry, and how food has a way of connecting us all.
From a Family Recipe to Hundreds of Stores
For Chico’s Gourmet founder, Mark Monson, the journey into sauces began with a simple idea after retirement: “Well, I didn’t want to starve to death,” he jokes. But behind the humor is a lifelong love of cooking. Nearly 40 years ago, while living in Houston, he learned an Italian pasta sauce recipe from his roommate’s father — a Brooklyn-born foodie chef with old-country roots. Over time, he tweaked the recipe, making it his own. That pasta sauce became the foundation for Chico’s Gourmet.
What started at a farmers market nine years ago quickly grew. Each week, jars sold out, fueling momentum that led to partnerships with local meat markets, grocery stores, and eventually regional chains like Hy-Vee and Fresh Thyme. Today, Chico’s is found in hundreds of stores across the Midwest, with fans emailing and even requesting jars shipped directly to their homes when shelves run bare.
Chico’s line has grown to include a Jalapeño Raspberry Rum BBQ Sauce, a one-of-a-kind Lasagna Sauce, and even a Bloody Mary Mix that took nearly two years of trial and error to perfect. Each product reflects the founder’s “Zen” approach to cooking — long hours, patient experimentation, and joy in the process. “It used to take me all day to make a sauce,” he says. That attention to detail is still at the heart of every jar.
For newcomers, he recommends starting with the pasta sauce over spaghetti and meatballs. But no matter the flavor, Chico’s Gourmet aims to deliver authenticity and nostalgia. As one customer put it after tasting the pasta sauce: “I haven’t experienced that taste since I left my Italian neighborhood in Chicago.”
A New Generation of Heat
While Chico’s roots are in tradition, Red Eye Hot Sauce is all about reinvention. Its founder, Tyler Baumann, started with a garden, some peppers, and a curiosity about what flavors could emerge when heat met creativity. For five years, Baumann experimented, gifting bottles to friends and family. After graduate school, he discovered Minnesota’s Cottage Food Law and realized his side project could become something bigger, and so, Red Eye Hot Sauce was born.
Unlike many hot sauce makers, his vision wasn’t just about heat. It was about values. A longtime vegan inspired by an environmental science class in high school, he built sustainability into the brand’s DNA. That means creating all-vegan sauces, sourcing locally when possible, and cutting waste in production. “I wanted my business to reflect my values while creating something delicious,” he says.
Even the brand name pays homage to Minnesota. The common loon, with its haunting nighttime call, graces the labels, and limited-edition bottles even feature the legendary laser loon. It’s a love letter to the state’s nature and identity.
And then there are the sauces themselves. The Spicy Miso, his bestseller, layers miso paste and gochujang for a deep, savory punch that transforms ramen or tofu into something unforgettable. The Wildfire Extra Hot Edition doesn’t just bring heat — it delivers earthy, smoky, and fruity notes that amplify a dish rather than overwhelm it. His philosophy is simple: no filler, no shortcuts, just bold combinations that linger in memory.
Elevating the Everyday Meal
Though Chico’s Gourmet and Red Eye Hot Sauce come from very different origins, one rooted in family recipes, the other in sustainability and experimentation, both share the same mission: to make everyday meals unforgettable.
Chico’s brings comfort, authenticity, and tradition, offering sauces that remind people of family dinners and flavors passed down through generations. Red Eye pushes boundaries, introducing unexpected combinations that broaden palates and invite creativity in the kitchen.
Whether it’s spaghetti and meatballs elevated by a sauce that tastes like grandma’s recipe, or ramen infused with a creamy, spicy kick unlike anything else, these brands prove that sauces aren’t just condiments, they’re the key to transforming food into an experience.
Together, Chico’s Gourmet and Red Eye Hot Sauce show how passion, persistence, and flavor can take a humble jar of sauce from a home kitchen to the heart of every meal.