The B.I.N.G.O! Story

I lived and grew up in Chicago, Illinois before joining the Navy in 1986 and relocating to Washington State. It was in Washington where I first experienced Mexican cuisine including salsa. Eating salsa reminded me of being home when dad would make fresh salads from my mother's vegetable garden. Dad's homemade salad dressings had a twang (sweet and sour) taste that left your taste buds wanting more.

When I would purchase store bought salsa I found myself adding additional ingredients to recreate the twang taste I got from dad's salads. One day I added enough additional ingredients to a store bought brand to have made my own creation of salsa. Eventually I began to make whole batches of my own salsa recipe and BINGO Salsa was born. In 1999 I found myself in a bored and unfulfilled job, desiring to be home for my teenage daughter. After much encouragement from family, making gift jars of salsa for friends and family, I took a leap of faith and quite my 14 year career and decided to do what I loved to do after a long arduous day on the job, "make fresh salsa". Serving in the Navy inspired me to make the name an acronym. I sought an acronym that would define the essence of my product and that's how I chose the name B.I.N.G.O (Because It's Naturally Good On......you decide). The name informs our customers of the essence of B.I.N.G.O Salsa and how it can be added to compliment entrées and a variety of foods. Vegetables, chicken or even fish, whatever you like, whatever you wish! (And you thought it was because I liked to play Bingo!) On New Year's Eve December 31st 1999, the beginning of a new millennium, I took another leap of faith and approached my first store to pitch B.I.N.G.O Salsa. After one taste and an MMMMMM it was history.  This was the morale booster I needed after being unemployed for the first time in 14 years. I thought, “WOW”, not only can I generate an income from what I love to do, but my salsa was tasty enough for the store manager to consider it for marketing. I can clearly remember Steve the grocery manager's response once he tasted BINGO Salsa, he said: "I don't like or even care for salsa, but this is good"! Can you have me three cases tomorrow? Then he laughed and said, "I wouldn't make you work on New Year's Eve. But when can you get me some BINGO Salsa?” Here it is, several years and thousands of containers later, BINGO Salsa continues to show up on the table of many customers for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus parties and special events. Today, the teenage daughter I desired to be home with then is now a first line manager for the company and she does an awesome job!