From his humble beginnings as a chili pepper farmer in Vietnam to one of the world’s most in-demand hot sauce manufacturers, David Tran formed Huy Fong Foods with one sole purpose: bringing a touch of Southeast Asian flare to American cuisine through his homemade Sriracha.
With a motto of "rich man's sauce at poor man's price," and a passion for making his sauce available to everyone, the hot sauce mogul hasn’t increased the price of his Sriracha sauce in more than 40 years. Unsurprisingly, his company has grown substantially, now occupying a 650,000 square foot facility in Irwindale, California.
It wasn’t all sunshine and sriracha, though, as Tran faced his first and most formidable obstacle when relocating from Vietnam to California with his family. Despite the difficult transition, Tran quickly adapted to his new surroundings and began doing business with other Southeast Asian immigrants, delivering his sauce to Chinatown restaurants in a blue Chevy van with his hand painted rooster logo. Although he was never driven by money, his business grew rapidly to become the maker of one of the world's favorite sauces.
I don't want money. My dream is everyone can have my product.
