Sweet Baby Ray's Explained

Sweet Baby Ray's
Type:Barbecue sauce
Introduced:1986
Country:United States
Previousowners:Dave and Larry Raymond
Tagline:The Sauce is the Boss!

Sweet Baby Ray's is a brand of barbecue sauce based in Romeoville, Illinois.

History

Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce was developed in the early 1980s by Chicago brothers Dave and Larry Raymond. They named the sauce after a nickname Dave had earned as a basketball player.[1] In 1982, the brothers entered their sauce in a Chicago barbecue competition for the first time. In 1985, their fourth year of competition, Sweet Baby Ray's won second place out of a field of 700 competitors. The following year, the brothers incorporated as a business and began selling the sauce to consumers.[2]

The Raymonds sold the business in 2005 to Ken's Foods for $30 million.[3] At the time, the brand was earning $30million in revenue and had 21% total US market share.[4] By 2008, the sauce had become the second best-selling barbecue sauce in the United States.[5]

Despite selling the sauce business, Dave Raymond retained the rights to the name "Sweet Baby Ray's",[6] and currently operates two restaurants under the name located in Chicago.[5]

After an interview with Mark Zuckerberg in 2021 where a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's sauce was seen in the background, media mentions of the brand name were worth $2 million dollars. [7]

Currently, there are 26 varieties of Sweet Baby Ray's sauces. [8] They range from sweet to spicy, and even branch into other mustard varieties. In 2020, the brand released a no sugar added line of sauces, which was expanded in 2021. [9]

In March 2022, Mashed released the results of a survey of 695 people. Over 48% of them ranked Sweet Baby Ray's as their favorite barbecue sauce. The sauce that was ranked second in the survey was selected by just over 15% of the respondents.[10]

Notes and References

  1. News: 'Sweet Baby' Raymond would rather help inner city kids . January 6, 2020 . . October 16, 2016 . Arlington Heights, Illinois . October 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201021013050/https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161016/business/161019008/ . live .
  2. News: Kornecki . Lynne . Sauced to Sell . January 6, 2020 . . September 2, 1990 . April 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220407105917/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-09-02-9003130603-story.html . live .
  3. Web site: SWEET BABY RAY'S - Trademark Details . Justia Trademarks . 2023-03-11 . 2023-03-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311173857/https://trademarks.justia.com/868/74/sweet-baby-ray-86874097.html . live .
  4. Web site: Chamberlain . Chris . Introducing America's Sauce Bosses . Food Republic . January 6, 2020 . April 9, 2012 . April 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210412133335/https://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/04/09/introducing-americas-sauce-bosses/ . live .
  5. News: Pizek . Jeff . Sweet Baby Ray's . January 6, 2020 . Daily Herald . June 27, 2008 . Arlington Heights, Illinois . 38 . May 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220507215842/https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-jun-27-2008-1498831/ . live .
  6. News: Corso . Rochelle . Creator of famous barbecue sauce opens restaurant . January 6, 2020 . Daily Herald . October 19, 2005 . Arlington Heights, Illinois . 5–2 . May 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220507215842/https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-oct-19-2005-1498852/ . live .
  7. News: Mac . Ryan . Mark Zuckerberg Got a Bit Meta in His Meta Presentation . The New York Times . 29 October 2021 . 11 March 2023 . 11 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311174033/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/style/mark-zuckerberg-meta-jokes.html . live .
  8. Web site: All Sauces . Sweet Baby Ray's . 11 March 2023 . 11 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311173857/https://www.sweetbabyrays.com/Sauces . live .
  9. Sweet Baby Ray's Expands Popular "Ray's No Sugar Added" Line with Two New Sauces . PRNewswire . PR Newswire . 11 March 2023 . 11 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311173857/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sweet-baby-rays-expands-popular-rays-no-sugar-added-line-with-two-new-sauces-301256507.html . live .
  10. News: Struble . Cristine . The Best Brand Of Barbecue Sauce, According To 48% Of People . . March 8, 2022 . March 12, 2022 . March 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220313005930/https://www.mashed.com/792151/the-best-brand-of-barbecue-sauce-according-to-48-of-people/ . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sweet Baby Ray's".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.