Grove Salsa Goes National

Serving big name clients like Disney World, Springfield’s Mexican Villa and Kansas City’s Jack Stack BBQ was not something Chris Evans, CEO of Evans Food Company, could have foreseen when he first started his company in 2020. “I overcame a lot of struggles and there was a point where my wife and I had to have a garage sale just to buy milk and diapers for our kids,” Evans says. “We had nothing to start off with and now have grown the business to over $2.5 million.”

Evans started off in the food industry working as manager of several chain restaurants locally including Red Lobster, Panda Express and TGI Fridays. The demands of the industry kept him from spending quality time with his family so in 2018, he made his start in the manufacturing world by purchasing MBDR, which produced Hopsing products, famous for their Springfield-style cashew chicken sauce. 

He continued to expand the business, purchasing other local companies like Grove Salsa Company, getting it into over 300 Walmarts, 85 Hy-Vees and 80 Schnucks stores. 

“It’s cool that we’re able to be promoting our own brands as well as other Missouri-made brands with such a wide reach right here in Springfield,” he says. 

While Evans Food Company services dozens of local companies like Tortilleria Perches, Million Dollar Pickles and Mexican Villa, they also service companies with a farther reach like St. Louis-based Taste of the Hill and Kansas City-based Jack Stack BBQ. One of their most recent purchases was Greek Island Spice, which they provide to Disney World and Universal Studios.

To those currently chasing after their own dreams, Evans gives encouragement to keep working toward their goals. “Live with your highest passion and go after that at all costs, never giving up even if you don’t see the results right away,” he says. “If it’s still exciting and you still have passion for it then go for it with your whole heart.”