Fallen Star: Update 2/21/12. As reported by the Colorado Springs Independent, this story does not feature a "happily ever after" ending. Evidently the execution of the business plan wasn't nearly as good as the execution of the salsa recipe. See the complete CSIndy story here.

original profile from Sept 2011 below

By Ed Duffy

Sandra and Paul Sherer started a very successful Mexican Restaurant called Cafe El Paso in Colorado Springs in 2001. Little did they know that the introduction of a delicious salsa recipe that had been in Sandra’s family for generations would lead to the creation of an even bigger business venture, with national and even international aspirations; the Santoscoy Food Group.

Santoscoy gets its name from Sandra’s family (maiden name). When they introduced Dos Pistoles Salsa to their customers, it was an instant hit. It developed such a following that they eventually began to jar and sell the salsa out of the restaurant. Demand was so great that it outgrew the capacity of the restaurant to produce. Together will family friend, Travis Taylor, the Sherer’s formed Santoscoy Food Group to bring Dos Pistoles and much more to the masses.

Sandra is the CEO and brings 22 years of business experience to the company as well as a passion for gourmet food. She’s responsible for the overall strategic direction, including new product development and marketing.

Paul is the Director of Marketing, with over 40 years of experience as a business owner. Among his experience, he once operated the largest contract auto titling company in El Paso, Texas. In the first year of operations he helped create a net revenue over two million dollars and managed a workforce of 13 employees. He has held senior finance leadership positions with GE Capital Finance where he was responsible for the asset management of the portfolio industries such as Oil and Gas exploration and manufacturing.

Travis serves as COO of Santoscoy, he brings over 12 years of distribution and sales experience to the company. Mr. Taylor has held sales and management roles with major companies such as Goldmine Software (formerly Bendata Helpdesk Solutions), USA.NET, Hewlett-Packard, and Phoenix Renewable Energy. He has redefined the practice of indirect and channel sales and has provided the Santoscoy Food Group with a solid background in the development, support, and management of channel distribution sales.

Dos Pistoles, the centerpiece of the new company, is now available in over 400 retail locations including Albertsons, Whole Foods and Sunflower, with more to be announced soon. Local independents such as Chef’s Outlet, Sparrow Hawk and the Broadmoor also carry the salsa.

In addition to expanding the distribution of Dos Pistoles salsa, Santoscoy has already introduced new products such as Element Water, Dos Pistoles Tortilla Chips and is even working on a deal to import rum from Argentina. Eventually Sandra says, she’d like to develop a line of frozen foods. She feels the Mexican food genre is underrepresented in the frozen food market and would very much like to remedy that.

Santoscoy also aims to bring other companies’ great ideas into the spotlight through consulting and brokerage services. The experience they’ve amassed and gained through this venture and others can enable clients to achieve their own dreams rather than throw up their hands in frustration at a system they know nothng about. Paul explains that once you’ve learned to navigate the world of production and distribution, and have a talented marketing team on board as well, the possiblities are endless.

The real challenge for Santoscoy going forward will be to select which opportunities to focus on and when. That’s a pretty good problem to have. Congratulations all.

Santoscoy Food Group is located at 1120 North Circle Drive Suite 10
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1-877-526-1908 

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