Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Nuñez
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story with Fantastic Fuego started when I received a first place win at The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival in 2019 for a salsa I made. All the salsas we offer as part of Fantastic Fuego are in some way or form inspired by family authentic recipes. Before that 1st place win, I started cooking years ago as a passionate hobby and also to honor my mother’s recipes. During that time, I started refining my culinary skills and began dreaming an idea for a food truck. The first thing I accomplished was coming up with flavorful and spicy salsas to pair with different dishes. My wife pushed me to enter one of the salsas to the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival in the individual specialty category. After that 1st place win, the plan for a food truck changed into a salsa business. After a few years of selling our salsas at local farmer’s markets, pop up events, and online, we introduced them to local stores. Now, they are carried in HEB’s Central Market locations across Texas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For a small business like ours, it’s never a smooth road. I am confident in our brand and our products. We have gained loyal customers throughout the years. When it comes to expansion and taking the brand to the next level, that requires more funding than what we actually have. We’ve been operating on a minimal budget and are able to accomplish many things. There are still ways to go before reaching a wider customer base, but the challenge, is figuring how to scale and make the business sustainable for a long term future.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Fantastic Fuego is a gourmet salsa and hot sauce brand. We’ve received many awards both locally and internationally for our products. Our motto for our products is that they are always flavor first and fire second. While we care about the spice in our products, flavor and quality are the main focus. We are known for our salsa macha, Machete and our restaurant style salsa, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Because I’m a big fan of movies, each product is nicknamed after a different movie title. Every one of our sauces have a distinct flavor from the rest. We will never make a hot sauce that is nothing but heat just for the sake of heat. That might work for other brands, but we’re more of a foodie brand. The intent of our sauces is for customers to pair them on their favorite dishes and enjoy their meals. We have a great variety that we offer on our website such as our salsa macha, pineapple salsa, chile de arbol hot sauce, an Italian inspired hot sauce, and even a bbq and an enchilada sauce.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The industry is always changing with different trends on heat levels. I see that in the next 5 to 10 years, salsas and hot sauces are going to continue dominate in people’s choice for condiments. With inflation hitting us currently, I see more people cooking and using sauces to help make their dishes better. We are here to serve that need with great quality and a brand full of heart and inspiration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fantasticfuego.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/elfantasticfuego
