In a room full of powerful food executives, Tyla-Simone Crayton was in her element. Without an ounce of nerves to be seen...
Problem
Many condiments on the market today are unhealthy
Condiments are a great addition to any meal. But for those who are health-conscious, it can be difficult to find a sauce that aligns with their health goals. Many condiments on the market today contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, which can be detrimental to health. Sienna Sauce wants to break that trend. 45 million Americans are on a diet and this number increases annually by 20%. That's why it is important to have healthier sauces like Sienna Sauce on the market.
Solution
A healthier alternative that is so good you won't stop licking your fingers
Sienna Sauce was created with your health in mind. Made with just a touch of sugar, Sienna Sauce is a great choice for those looking for bold flavor without the high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy additives. Sienna Sauce is universal; it can be used on meat, seafood, poultry, and vegetables. Perfect for chefs or people who just love to eat .
Product
"Everybody go home! That is amazing" — CEO of World Food Championships
Mike McCloud, President and CEO of World Food Championships, was blown away by our sauce! Each flavor of Sienna Sauce is a callback to the founder's Brooklyn roots. With just a dash of Sienna Sauce, you can make meat, seafood, poultry, and veggies more delicious. Whether you're grilling or sautéing, Sienna Sauce is the prefect marinade, glaze, or dip. It goes on everything.
Traction
Over 25,000 bottles sold to date
In 2019, we sold over 25,000 bottles of Sienna Sauce. Our product is currently available in over 50 retail locations throughout Texas and Mississippi and it is shipped to customers across the country.
Since launching, Sienna Sauce has been recognized for its taste and quality. The brand won “Best Sauce” in the 2018 and 2019 Sauce-A-Holic Fest, competing against 15 competitive brands! In 2019, our founder, Tyla-Simone Crayton, was one of only five youth entrepreneurs selected nationwide to present at the World Food Championships. She was also recently named one of the Top 50 Black Professionals and Entrepreneurs in Texas.
Sienna Sauce is gaining popularity every day. Our product has been featured in prominent media outlets like Inside Edition and Now This! In addition, our social media base has over 20,000 followers, ensuring that our brand is constantly growing.
Founder Tyla-Simone Crayton and Sienna Sauce have been featured in:
Customers
5 star reviews on Amazon
"The taste was phenomenal and versatile from hot wings to hamburger topping. The only thing I did not like is that it ran out so soon. I'll have to buy 3-4 bottles at a time."
– Tino, Amazon Reviewer
"Wonderful sauce, so tasty, and low in sugars too! Everyone loved it!
– Catherine Pfister, Amazon Reviewer
"Its coating ability is perfect for chicken and chops. Also the flavor is unique in that it's so bam when you taste it. It's not too spicy. It is just full of flavor."
-Jay Carson, Amazon Reviewer
Business model
Sold by 60+ retailers and Amazon
Sienna Sauce currently offers 3 flavors that are retailed for between $7.49 and $9.95. Our products are distributed by over 60 retailers in Texas and Mississippi. Our products can also be bought from online retailers like Amazon.
- Customers can download our Sienna Wings App.
- Subscription Program available 2020 Q2
- Retail over 60 stores
- Wholesale options available
- Online at www.SiennaSauce.com
Market
Trending towards healthy and delicious
Tapping into a $28B market
The sauces & condiments market is valued at $24B in the United States. By 2021, the valuation is estimated to reach $28B. With the public's increased focus on health and wellness, the market is expected to shift in favor products that are both delicious and healthy. Due to this trend, it has become increasingly important for condiments to market themselves as gluten-free and all-natural. With its gluten-free and HFCS-free formula, Sienna Sauce is primed for growth.
Competition
Sienna Sauce gives back to the community
Sienna Sauce is unlike its competitors in its commitment to the community it has grown from. We give back to the community by offering entrepreneurship opportunities to the youth. Unfortunately many youth do not have the access to educational opportunities that encourage them to grow their business acumen. Sienna Sauce provides them with the opportunity to learn how to make money for themselves. Participants can sell the sauce and make 40% of their profit, while learning more about sales, target marketing, the 5 P's and entrepreneurship. Sienna Sauce also donates sauce and the CEO volunteers her time by speaking to schools and organizations .
Vision and strategy
Get into 100 stores by 2021
We hope to be in over 100 stores by 2021 by expanding to 7 states on the West and East coasts. We are also in the process of expanding our brand with a kitchen apparel line that will include dishcloths, aprons and oven mitts. In addition, we are coming up with new flavors, a spicy hot sauce, delicious new seasonings, and rubs.
Funding
Received $35,000 in funding from pitch competitions
In 2019, Sienna Sauce won the grand prize of $25,000 Side Hustle Showdown, a Strahan and Sara competition. In the same year, we received a $10,000 prize at the Revolt Pitch Competition. Prior to winning the pitch competition money, Monique Crayton, mother of the founder and CEO, left her job and used the $10,000 she had in her savings account to get the business started. After that was gone, there were many long nights of wondering how to keep the lights on. Year-to-date Sienna Sauce is a profitable company (with margins of 66-68%) and all of the money made has been put back into the business to continue funding new endeavors.
Founders
Run by 16-year-old "Sauce Boss"
Tyla-Simone Crayton is the sixteen year old CEO of Sienna Sauce out of Houston, Texas. The young foodie relocated from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to the Sienna Plantation area of Texas, hence the brand name Sienna Sauce. In an effort to recreate a flavor of sauce she missed from back home, she experimented and stirred up some flavors that she found far superior! Tyla-Simone has always had a creative spirit and decided that selling sauce would be a great idea. In the spring of 2017, she launched Sienna Sauce from her home kitchen.
Tyla-Simone is an honor student at Texas Connections Academy (homeschooled) receiving awards in academic excellence and critical thinking. Outside of the classroom, she speaks to the youth about entrepreneurship at least 3 times a month, works full time at her corporate office, serves as a board member of the Black History Club, a member of the American Sign Language club, and she is a community volunteer at the Sistership Foundation.
Tyla-Simone has been interviewed on NowThis (1.4 million views), The Houston Black Pages - African America Business Directory (5 million views) Inside Edition (155k views), Pickler&Ben Show (1.3 million views), Good Morning America, ABC 13 Houston (3.2 million views), C-Span, KPRC-TV-Channel 2, Houston Chronicle, 97.9 The Box, 93.7 The Beat and by countless food bloggers and influencers.
Tyla-Simone has received countless honors from many amazing organizations throughout Houston, including The Icon Awards, She is CEO, National Black MBA Association, and Top 50 Professionals & Entrepreneurs.
Tyla-Simone received a Pinnacle Award from the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce as the first ever recipient to receive an award for Youth Entrepreneurship.
Tyla-Simone has also received a Proclamation from the Fort Bend County Judge for her achievements and accomplishments in entrepreneurship.
When she is not studying, filling orders, or promoting her brand Tyla-Simone, enjoys spending time with her mother, family, friends, and her dog Chloe.
Her motto is “Live, Love, and Sauce it up!”