eBay entrepreneur and Semi-Pro Poker player Jack Penrod proudly boasts to be the “#1 seller of the Habanero Beef Jerky on ebay.”, His business based in Mesa Arizona and operating out of a rented restaurant in Scottsdale is growing with leaps and bounds as we speak. Built on hard work, passion, and the inspiration from friends and family, Jack admits he’s holding on tight to this crazy ride. With several delicious types of Beef Jerky and some very tasty as well as collectible Hot Sauces under their belt, the future looks bright for Jack and Shelia’s family owned and operated online business Arizona Pepper Co. soon to be Penrod Pepper Products. Look for a full line label transformation including store friendly barcodes, new Jerky pacakaging, and some highly antcipated new products from this quick moving and evolving company. “It’s all happening so fast” says the guitar collecting new comer to the Chilihead world, “We have TONS of repeat customers from Seattle to Miami, Maine to San Diego.” So put on your running shoes to keep up and your eyes peeled for the new domain name, SUPERSPICY.COM to be on line soon and in the mean time rip open a package of their Habanero Beef Jerky and welcome them to the Blog.
1. Why Hot Sauce? Where did the idea come from for you to get involved doing this?
When the Doctor advised me to cut down on salt, I discovered Hot Sauce. It is so much more healthy and heart friendly, it has replaced the salt shaker on our table.
2. If you had to pick a favorite sauce of yours, which would it be?
Our Death in the Desert is the King of our table by far.
3. Any new products we should be ready for from your line?
We have a Bloody Mary mix used here locally, and our Illegal Alien label will evolve. Insane Deat in the Desert is ready to go, we are just looking for a trick way to sell it.
4. Where do you see the future of Hot Sauce 5 years from now? 10? 20?
I would love to see Habanero Cat Food, Habanero Gatorade, Habanero Motor Oil, etc.
5. What is your favorite Hot Sauce that you don’t make?
Somebody else makes Hot Sauce? LOL! Actually, a women in Rocky Point Mexico makes the BEST seafood Habanero Sauce I have ever tatsed. I am either going to kidnap her or reverse engineer the product. She makes it at home and walks the beach selling it in ziploc bags. It is AWESOME !!
6. Do you eat the sauce you make?
We eat it on everything.
7. What do you eat Hot Sauce on?
STEAK, all meat dishes, Ribs, and Soup, the list is endless.
8. What sets you aside from the other Hot Sauce producers out there today?
We at Penrod Pepper Products are a family owned, family recipe gang, sort of like a Micro Brewed Hot Sauce Mafia. I am the Head Pepper, my wife Sheila is the Legal Pepper, my daughter Alda is the MBA Pepper, and my son-in-law Rich is the Artistic Pepper.
9. What is your inspiration before you embark on a new concoction?
Input from friends, family and co-workers. That’s how the Jackson’s Awesome Habanero Jerky line got started.
10. Outside of creating hot products, what else keeps you occupied or out of trouble?
Poker, fishing, quitar collecting, and general mischevious activity.
11. Any weird stories or uses for your Hot Sauce that you would like to share?
YES !!!! I have found that the animals will not cross a Habanero Sauce line in the dirt and eat my garden !! Also, hang green, red and orange Xmas ornaments on your pepper plants in the early stage. The birds get used to the glass, and when the peppers start to fruit, take the bulbs off, and WALA the birds are conditioned to not eat your peppers. I am not a freakin’ genious. Birds love peppers, we have to defeat the Bird War on Pepper Terrorism !!
12. How much sauce do you make in a week?
Some weeks a gallon if we are experimenting, other weeks 20 gallons or more, depending on the distributor demand. We only sell fresh Hot Sauce and Jerky. Never a preservative!!
13. How many different recipes do you go through when developing a new sauce?
Sometimes we hit it quick, others may take months, see answer #5 above.
14. How did you get started in the industry?
I just tried to make the sauce I could not buy, and it went from there.
15. What is your biggest challenge so far?
The legal aspect of the food industry. Sheila is a lawyer and our jump through the legal hoops has been easier than most young company’s. We have built-in legal department, and that has saved us countless bucks.
16. What is the most common question you get?
Can you really sell Jerky om eBay? We started on a suggestion 2 years ago and are now the #1 selling Power Seller of Habanero Jerky. Over 1100+ positive feedbacks with a 99.9% rating.
17. What do you want to know from the readers of the HSB?
Ideas, comments and suggestions. Feedback is awesome especially from a market specific group. It is priceless and others have to pay to have their market researched.
18. What is the typical day for you?
Working my Aerospace day job, then countless hours in the restaurant we rent after hours cooking, packing, inventing, etc. Hopefully soon we will have our own bay or building, this thing is growing like a snowball rolling down hill!!
19. Worst burn ever?
Losing with Aces full of Kings to 4 Kings one seat away from the final table in a poker tournament last year in Vegas. Other than that, Habanero mash splashed over my safety glasses once- Thank God I have a pool in the backyard, the Chlorine felt like Holy Water!!
20. Best burn ever?
When I send free samples of Hot Sauce with a jerky order, or vice versa, and I get a repeat customer over and over again.
Jack Penrod
Penrod Pepper Products &
Arizona Pepper Company
Mesa, Arizona
Written by Vic
Nick Lindauer founded Hot Sauce Blog in 2004, making it one of the internet's very first hot sauce review sites. After 20+ years of tasting, reviewing, and attending every major fiery foods event in the country, he's back behind the keyboard covering the hot sauce world he helped build.
33 responses to “Meet Your Maker #16 – Arizona Pepper Company”
I get to be the first commenter, what a privilege! I just wanted to say I met Jack on line a few months ago and not only does he have fantastic sauces with great labeling and the GREATEST HABANERO JERKY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! He is a GREAT GUY too! I am sure he is riding the rocket to hot sauce stardom, good luck Jack!
Ed
Great article Vic!
LOVE the jerky Jack!!! Website is looking good! TC
Great interview Vic and AJ! Looking forward to trying that world famous jerky man! Repeat customer here for sure, and I have not even tried it yet. The pictures of yours makes mine taste bland! Ha!
Wish I could have made it to ZF to meet ya Jack, would have been a pleasure I’m sure!
And as TracyC says, the site looks great! And I love your answer to #20. Satisfaction is what it’s all about man! Right on! No satisfied customers, no repeats. Make everyone happy, but ya gotta smile yourself or it isn’t worth it! Nothing like the customer coming back time and time again to keep ya smiling, that’s for sure!
Great article Vic and AJ! Nice job to both of you!
[Comment ID #60552 Quote]
Let me second this comment, I to met him early this year by way of
ordering jerky and his DID sauce. He also is the best in his service
toward the customers
Great interview! Great guitar collection!
Haven’t tried your jerky or sauces yet but I am really lookinf forward to it!
[Comment ID #60555 Quote]
I’m sorry AJ no Banjos in your Collection. What kind of collector are you. Just kidding LOL Nice Job. Can’t wait to try your product.
Great reading… keep up the good work AJ 🙂
Awesome Jerky, man! Take it from a dude who’s got 2 dehydrators and has been making hot sauce infused jerky for 10 years. I haven’t been able to try your sauces because I can’t bring myself to open the signed bottle I bought in Texas. Good stuff, keep it up, Jack.
Thank You for all the kind words folks.
This has sort of caught us off guard. Both our site and our Ebay store are not selling as of now, we are in a re-tooling mode. I expect to have the site done within a cpl days, that’s AzRich’s dept, and I will get Ebay up and running by the end of today.
Growing pains, you all know them, have caused us to halt, and completely relabel and take all new product pics for the site.
THE RECIPES WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED
Again, I wish to thank all of you for your kind words of support, and it was great to be so well received at ZF and here on the HSB. Too many individuals to pick out, so just 1 big THANK YOU ALL !!!!!
Aj and family
who said kind things? LOL just kidding, AJ You rawk!!
The Habanero Jerky is the best I’ve had….and I’ve tried a lot!
[Comment ID #60564 Quote]
If you look close , Bret, you will see 2 Dobros, they are great for blues, they sound like a garbage can strung with wire. Me Banjo? no, I still have all my teeth, lol, I saw Deliverance 1 too many times to ever buy a Banjo…..
I NEED MORE JERKY JACK!!!!!!!
[Comment ID #60579 Quote]
??? What ???
There are a bunch of bad jokes that could come fromt that statement!!! I know, I know- Grow up Vic & get your mind out of the gutter!!! NEVER!!! 😈
[Comment ID #60580 Quote]
Don’t change Vic! I like you just the perverted way that you are.
[Comment ID #60579 Quote]
Tracy, Ill get with you via e mail later today
When everything is ready to go, ( site and Ebay ) I will announce a special for HSB’rs only, a sale of some sort, package deals, etc.
Later gang
Aj
[Comment ID #60577 Quote]
Poeple ask me all the time what Leroy looks like, thats it the bald headed kid in Deliverance. Leroy loves Banjos and Dogs
Well he use to now he all into wearing a helmet. He wants to be like Blane
[Comment ID #60585 Quote]
ROFLMAO
[Comment ID #60580 Quote]
If you grow up that woupd force Ryan to grow up and well that would just be a bad deal all around so don’t grow up Vic.
[Comment ID #60579 Quote]
New Product name?
[Comment ID #60589 Quote]
Oh yeah..THANKS! That would now be JERKY JACKtm Heehee
Great interview VIc and AJ….. AJ is definitely a nice guy, and is stuff is awesome.
[Comment ID #60576 Quote]
Parker, shoot me an e-mail or if you dont have it, send me a question on ebay. thanx
Gotta git me some of that super spicy snack!! I would love to try two of my favorites, meat with good heat.
Wish I could have talked with ya more at awards banquet and ZestFest maybe in New Mexico in March!
Great Job AJ and Vic’ster
Scotty B
[Comment ID #60600 Quote]
Wow, twice in a week Huvason popped in without Beer being mentioned.
[Comment ID #60613 Quote]
Only for you Jack 😀
That sure is some dang good jerky! And he sure does use some good meat to make the jerky. I think that helps a ton. A jerky expert no doubt!
[Comment ID #60612 Quote]
ScottyB,
Wow, An honor indeed. We did not spend enough time together at ZF, I want to congrats you on the awards, and yes sir, we will have to exchange products.
Aaron, if you are as mean in your reviews as you are at the poker table, we are doing something right. I am humbled by the rave reviews from certified chiliheads, and really enjoyed the chance to meet you heads up at a poker table.
[Comment ID #60629 Quote]
AJ, Thanks for the Kudos but don’t make me out to be any more
special than yourself.
Just trying to make quaility products like alot of others on the blog and in the industry.
Glad to hear you are doing so well!!
Scotty B
I recieved a box today, and it was full of AJ’s sauces and Jerky, I took it to work and the Jerky lasted about 1 minute, there was nothing but praise and where did you get that Jerky, well of course I said I made it and then remembered I was still wearing my helmet…. Kidding aside AJ make’s some awesome stuff… I am one satisfied customer and will be back for more. I have talked with AJ a few times and had enjoyed those conversations, I look forward to meeting him in NM. Keep up the awesome work and good luck in all you do.
Great interview Vic and AJ
TTYL
Can’t wait to try this hot sauce & jerky. Total Professional !! You did’nt tell me you were a card player, Jack. Stay away from the Aces & Eights