Six years into this experiment that we call Jumbo’s Sloppy Joe Sauce, we thought it was time to start communicating on a regular basis with our growing base of customers, friends and fans. The only thing we can possibly think of to start our blog is to tell you all how thankful we are.

We have come to the end of our food truck season – one that was a bit truncated and a bit less busy than we are accustomed to, but one where we did get the chance to see and feed many of you nonetheless. Normally, at this point in the year, we would be gearing up for the promotion of our sauces at the annual Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcases in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck, followed up by our customary appearances at the Boat Show, Sportsmen’s Show and Home Show. Alas, this year is different in many ways for all of us, but it has afforded us an opportunity to take a deep breath and appreciate how far you have all taken us in the last six years.

First off, six years? It seems like just yesterday we packed our SUV up with tables, tablecloths, and the first ever run of our sauce to the Grand Forks Pride of Dakota show. How we packed our two kids and all that gear into our car will forever be a mystery. We were in exactly zero stores, and we put the purchase of our sauce on a credit card, wondering if we would sell enough to even pay for what we had produced. Turns out you loved us. Local stores put us on their shelves and we sold out of everything we brought to the Alerus Center. Ditto that November for the Fargo and Bismarck shows, and thanks to you, we were off and running.

Next came some free publicity courtesy of Forum Communications in both the West Fargo Pioneer and Fargo Forum, and later an interview on the Jay Thomas Show on 970 WDAY in Fargo. In the blink of an eye, we became something that many people were asking for on a regular basis. We have since been fortunate enough to call many of you friends.

Today, thanks to the help of others promoting our little company, and those of you continuing to loyally buy our sauce when you’re in the mood for Sloppy Joes, we are in a over a couple hundred stores across North Dakota and Minnesota, and the future continues to look bright. There are some big things on the horizon, and as soon as we can tell you about them, we will. In the meantime, be thankful for those little things in your life, as we have learned to be thankful in ours. Yes, there are challenges. We all have them. But if you stop and take the time to look around, you will see the many gifts in your life. We here at Jumbo’s are thankful for each and every one of you!