Oh Mercy! introduces West African hot sauce
Asian-, Latin American- and Indian-style hot sauces abound, but Oh Mercy!'s owner Mercy Duncan-Bloomgarden wants to introduce Americans to West African hot sauce, which she says, "is not typical vinegar-based hot sauce." Rather, she says, it is a thick blend of habanero peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, tomato and spices that can be used as a spread, ingredient or topping. The sauce launched in Whole Foods in the mid-Atlantic in September after Duncan-Bloomgarden walked into the store and brazenly asked to see a manager without an appointment. She encourages other startups to try the tactic, which worked, because not all store managers require formal meetings to accept to products.