Walter Kinzie, a direct descendant of one of Chicago’s first settlers, has embarked on a culinary venture that aims to shake up the condiment market with bold, unconventional flavors.
Founded in 2022, Kinzie Foods specializes in unique sauces featuring jaw-dropping flavors such as pickle, espresso, and Carolina Reaper. Walter Kinzie believes it’s time to think beyond traditional choices like barbecue sauce when selecting dips for food.
Kinzie’s personal journey has shaped his culinary creativity. Growing up in a financially struggling household meant that he often relied on barbecue sauce as a catch-all condiment, using it liberally across various dishes. “This was just a byproduct of growing up very, very poor,” says Kinzie, underscoring how his limited means influenced his culinary adaptability.
The flavors crafted by Kinzie—tangy, rich, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy—aim to elevate regular food moments, suggesting uses in dips, Bloody Marys, and even stews.
Kinzie’s approach to product development is refreshingly hands-on, involving small-batch production and testing, an informal method rooted in his love for cooking rather than professional training.
Contrary to his unexpected food entrepreneurship, Kinzie first made his mark as the founder of Encore Holdings, an event production company established in Grand Rapids, South Dakota, in 2010. Throughout his career in event planning, where he has hosted iconic performers like Garth Brooks and Metallica, Kinzie sought to offer something memorable to clients—a homemade barbecue sauce from his aunt.
“I started sharing bottles of my aunt’s barbecue sauce as a thank you for people I worked with,” he explains when discussing the origins of his sauce business. Initially, it was a personal gesture, not a commercial endeavor.
As the homemade sauces gained traction, Kinzie’s customers began to express genuine interest in purchasing the bottles. He recalls, “I fully expected everyone to say, ‘Hey, thanks for the gifts over the last several years, but we’re not willing to pay for it.’ and the exact opposite happened. More people started paying for it.”
This unexpected success led to the official launch of Kinzie Foods, with a website going live on October 3, 2024, marking the company’s entry into the direct-to-consumer market. Kinzie took a thoughtful approach by testing his products at food shows in various U.S. cities such as Seattle, Cleveland, Denver, and Chicago.
Chicago emerged as a standout market for Kinzie Foods, as the city readily embraced the unique flavors like espresso and pickle. Kinzie attributes this enthusiasm to Chicago’s vibrant food culture and its enduring love for barbecue.
As a result, Kinzie decided to concentrate his marketing efforts solely on Chicago, a city that has deep familial connections for him through his ancestor, John Kinzie. Despite having only recently begun to explore the city, Walter Kinzie has quickly learned about its rich history and complexities—much like his ancestor’s own tumultuous past in the area.
While staying at the Residence Inn on Kinzie Street, he was confronted with a historical tidbit about his ancestor, prompting him to delve deeper into the story of John Kinzie, a Quebec native who became one of the first non-indigenous settlers of Chicago but also had the dubious distinction of being involved in the city’s first recorded murder in 1812.
Walter reflects on his ancestor’s complicated legacy: “[John] had this very strange affinity with Chicago, with the land, unsuccessfully running for mayor, murdering someone, and now one of the most prestigious streets in the community named after him. That’s a story made for Chicago, if you ask me.”
In a sense, Walter is following in John Kinzie’s footsteps—spearheading a new venture that aims to make an impact in the city his ancestor helped establish centuries before.
Kinzie Foods offers an exciting product lineup that not only includes the original Fiery sauce, created from his aunt’s home recipe but also a variety of adventurous flavors designed to entice and intrigue culinary explorers.
The sauces are available for purchase through their website and at food festivals, including their prominent participation in the Windy City Smokeout, showcasing their distinctive offerings to a wider audience.
As Kinzie navigates the landscape of both his burgeoning business and his newfound relationship with Chicago, he remains committed to sharing his flavorful creations with consumers who are eager to step outside traditional condiment boundaries.
Ultimately, Walter Kinzie’s journey is not just about creating sauces, but about connecting with a city rich in food culture while telling a story that bridges generations—one sauce at a time.
image source from：https://chicago.eater.com/restaurant-news/159804/kinzie-foods-barbecue-sauce-condiments
