In this episode of Small Business Origins, we talk to Tomball Economic Development Corporation's second success story: Shane Nobles, founder of Pain Train Salsa based in Tomball, Texas. We talk about so much, but the story of transitioning from being a coach to a salsa king couldn't be any more interesting than this.
Tune in to hear:
- How Shane first got inspired to make his own salsa while working as a bartender at Pappasito's (5:55)
- Starting out selling 49 jars at local farmer's markets in Tomball (9:40)
- Expanding to multiple farmer's markets across Houston and the scaling challenges (12:13)
- Transitioning the business from a side hustle while teaching to a full-time endeavor (20:14)
- Obtaining those first retail accounts with local grocery stores (14:12) and larger chains like HEB, Spec's and Central Market (22:56)
- The production process over time - going from home kitchen to commercial kitchen to upgrading with new equipment as the business grew (41:26)
- Managing the supply chain complexities selling a fresh, perishable product (44:55)
- Funding and building a new production facility to meet demand (48:35)
- Giving back to the Tomball community and local schools (36:25)
- Goals for the future including a "Welcome to Tomball, famous for creamy avocado" water tower (55:09)
Shane Nobles is a Tomball, Texas entrepreneur and founder of Pain Train Salsa. He started the business in 2014, selling jars of his homemade salsa at local farmer's markets. Since then, Pain Train Salsa has expanded across Texas, now selling in major grocery store chains while still maintaining Shane's commitment to an all-natural, handcrafted product.
Pain Train Salsa is a Tomball, Texas-based salsa company making ultra-fresh, all-natural salsas and avocado sauces. Founded by Shane Nobles in 2014, Pain Train started out selling at local farmer's markets and has grown to become one of the top-selling local brands across Texas grocery stores. Their flagship product is the Creamy Avocado salsa.
Tweetables:
"I have it shelf life tested in FSNS lab in San Antonio. I did it for 3 months. I was like, if it you know, we can't sell in 3 months, we're in trouble." (45:16)
"If you wanna buy Pace Picante Sauce, then, hey man, they got a whole section for you. But if you want the good stuff and I tell people I go, it's only expensive the first time you buy it." (30:51)
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