Tapatio Hot Sauce Sold to Highlander Partners Amid Rising Demand from Weight-Loss Drugs

The Saavedra family, which owned the company, documented its recipe for the first time during the transaction. Luis Saavedra, son of the founder and former company leader, stated that the family had previously kept the recipe oral to maintain secrecy.

He noted, "We didn't want anyone to know what we were using. " Demand for hot sauces has increased recently, partly due to users of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic experiencing heightened cravings for flavor.

These drugs, used for weight loss, affect how some individuals perceive taste and seek enhanced flavors in foods.

Jose-Luis Saavedra, originally from Mexico City, moved to the United States in his late 20s and worked as a Spanish translator in Chicago before relocating to Southern California.

He developed the hot sauce recipe in his kitchen and shared it with co-workers at an aerospace parts manufacturer in Los Angeles, where it gained popularity. After being laid off in the late 1960s during an oil recession, Saavedra began selling bottled versions of the sauce. The company was officially established in 1971, with initial production in a rented space in Maywood, California.

The Saavedra family, including son Luis who started helping at age 13 by capping and labeling bottles, managed early distribution by delivering to local stores, particularly in East Los Angeles. Operations expanded from Maywood to a 7,000-square-foot facility in Vernon after 14 years, and in 1996, the company purchased a 30,000-square-foot building where production continues today.

The sauce's flavor comes from red peppers, garlic, salt, and other spices, providing a tangy, peppery taste with mild heat.

Ingredients are mixed in a secured room to match the original formula before bottling on a conveyor line. Early challenges included a trademark dispute when the brand was initially named Cuervo, leading to a settlement with Jose Cuervo that provided a payout to the Saavedras.