Success On The Shelf

Pardon the pun, but Donna Knopf, founder of Vegetas, has a recipe for success, having turned a modest grain sausage undertaking in 1991 into today’s large crop of vegetarian Southwestern specialties.

Knopf, whose growing product line is based in Tempe, has slow-cooked statewide success over 20 years, including to-die-for shelf space on such grocers’ shelves as AJ’s Fine Foods, New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, Whole Foods Markets, and the Phoenix Public Market.

But first, to Knopf and her innovative, 105-product line.

Her roots in foodville and their eventual blossoming into today’s locally-made vegetarian line can be traced to her native Chicago where her father owned a restaurant. While eyeing – and securing – a degree in interior design, she worked in every facet of her dad’s eatery and developed a love for cooking that made her feel at home in the kitchen. Moving forward from the Windy City to the Valley of the Sun, a $25,000 investment put the idea of Vegetas on the front burner and off to a tasty start.

“We first came out with a grain-based sausage that was very time consuming to produce,” Knopf remembers. “Every new product we came out with was because of customer requests. Other new products were based on what we saw as the new or next trends.”

In addition to Vegetas’ presence in brick-and-mortar locations, the brand features virtual shelf space on its website, featuring salsas such as sesame seed roja, tropical pineapple mango fruit, cranberry mango, and pumpkin seed; tortilla chips ala rustic corn, cinnamon and sugar, jalapeño hummus, and sweet potato; and a selection of gift baskets.

The recipe for success? Knopf, who suggests salsa goes with everything, told Phoenix Home & Garden recently, “I set out to make good, wholesome food. Food that no matter who you are, just tastes good.”

Included in the recipe, she says, is patience. “Have passion about your product, believe in what you do, and only sell what you would buy for yourself. Don’t try to conquer the world in one day. Go slowly so you can catch and correct your weak areas before you go forward.”

Eventually, Knopf would like to take Vegetas into additional markets. With all the ingredients for success, handmade, home-style products from salsa to tortilla chips to a line of fruit dips; and an interior designer’s creativity, it’s an idea that’s easy to swallow.

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Vegetas
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This story, written by Sandy Des Georges, is part of the Chamber's monthly Businesswise for Women email. To sign up for any or all of the GPCC's email communications, click here.