Gringo Bandito hot sauce grows from passion project to national brand

If you walk into any local grocery store, you will be sure to notice the countless varieties of hot sauces available. Many are household staples (Tapatio, Tabasco etc) and others are kitschy brands that will appear for a limited time and may well be off the shelves before the next visit. Of all the hot sauce brands to weather the competitive retail market of condiments, Southern California brand Gringo Bandito has proven year after year that consumers can’t get enough of the sauce. The company was formed in 2004 by Dexter Holland, vocalist of the multi-platinum selling band The Offspring and enthusiast of getting creative in the kitchen.

Holland initially made the hot sauce as a gift to give to friends during the holidays, and from there interest in his unique brand spread widely and quickly. Local Southern California based restaurants such as Chronic Tacos and Wahoo’s took interest in Gringo Bandito and became early adopters of the sauce, which helped further fuel eventual sales through retail distribution channels.

It’s not often that products devised by entertainers see longevity, and the success of Gringo Bandito may be credited to the organic growth of the sauce without a heavy push. With its memorable branding and packaging, the hot sauce started with one flavor (Original Red) and in 2013 a Green sauce was introduced which was followed-up by a 3^rd sauce called Super Hot in 2015. An interesting fact about Gringo Bandito is that the sauce contains 70% less salt than most of the competition, is gluten free and contains no preservatives.

Gringo Bandito has sold over a million bottles to date and is currently working on new distribution opportunities to expand their presence in national restaurant chains and through additional retail channels nationwide. The sauces can be purchased in Kroger, Ralphs, Whole Foods, Fry’s, Albertsons/Safeway among many more retailers and is served in select national restaurant chains. The brand is also currently working on their annual private reserve hot sauce, which is slated for a late November release online. Fans of their private reserve eagerly await the release, as the limited production features unique packaging and flavors that change yearly.