Dream big pt. 3 - R&D
Now that I got my parents blessing to go forward with this project, I decided I had to do some research and development (R&D). I wanted to know how sauces were made. So I did what any normal person would do and I scheduled a tour with the factory that makes Sriarcha LOL. Yes, I decided to just shoot for the top immediately. Why not, right? At the time I went to the Huy Fong website and they had tour dates that you could sign up for. Unfortunately tours are no longer offered, I feel lucky that I was able to do this! It was great, my friend Sandra and I signed up and we went to Irwindale to see their operations. After checking in at the front desk, Sandra and I are brought to a conference room with all sorts of Sriracha memorabilia and merchandise from around the world. We watch a short video about the history of the company and go over general safety measures while on the tour. Anyhow, while in this conference room, Sandra and I are checking everything out and I couldn’t make this up even if I tried…but right before my eyes was a Survivor Palau banner. You know, the show with Jeff Probst. I mean, are you kidding me?? I am making a Palauan sauce and am here for a tour to figure out what I am doing and there is a banner for Survivor Palau. Sometimes I feel like I was pointed in this direction, this was the path that I was supposed to go down and here is a little sign saying…yup, keep going!
Feeling completely blown away after I saw that banner, I had to collect myself and continue on with what I was there for. I guess I could have just stopped right then and said that’s all I needed to see, but lets be real I was on a mission. The Huy Fong warehouse is MASSIVE. To do the tour, you’re carted around in theme park size trolleys with a tour guide that tells you every step of their process. I thought it was most impressive that Sriarcha doesn’t sit on any ready made product. What I mean is, they don’t have a bunch of inventory waiting around for people to buy. They have such a high rate of purchase that they literally make product as purchase orders from distributors come in. This experience was so moving and motivating. I learned a lot of about the process of manufacturing a food product on that trip, but the biggest lesson that I learned is that I was right listen to those little day dreams. Writing about this moment 3 years later and I am still reeling with feelings of excitement over seeing that banner.
