MIKE D'S BBQ

Our history is still being written, but has its beginnings with me and my love for smoking meat. I am a BBQ junkie. In my quest to find the perfect BBQ, I once had a blog where I reviewed the various que spots I encountered while on the road. I also was intrigued by the various sauces and rubs that were available, as I wanted to find the perfect combination for my desired flavor. Eventually, I decided to make my own rub and sauce and after many variations, I found the perfect combination of sweet, smokey, and a little bite!

In 2009, a spicy version of the sauce was entered into a competition for amateur sauce makers in North Carolina. My spicy BBQ sauce came in 3rd place overall and 2nd in its division! Since that time, friends and family have encouraged me to take his product from the backyard to the masses and that is where we are today.

Our business is not only the result of a long process of refinement and innovation, it is also the product of our love for family and community. We started Mike D's BBQ to honor the life and memory of our late son, Aaron.

In 2020, we appeared on Discovery Channel's "I Quit", where we told the story about how our work ethic is inspired by our son's battle with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: our son "had no choice but to fight."

MAMA'S SALSA

I started Mama's Salsa as way a way to fulfill my dream of becoming a chef and making people happy with food. I am so thankful that I get to live out my dream while still being a mother and wife. We work this business as a family and are able to see the fruits of our labor. It's so rewarding to be able to teach our boys the lesson of hard work.

Today you can find us at local markets all around the Raleigh area and in a few stores that sell local provisions. We offer 5 different flavors of fresh salsa weekly as well as homemade corn tortilla chips.

MICHAEL'S ENGLISH MUFFINS

My story starts before me. My father’s parents got their start in the restaurant world, and our family has continued in the restaurant industry for nearly a century. My father and his brother broadened the legacy with multiple restaurants, the iconic Cincinnati restaurant The Maisonette being the crown jewel.

After college, I left the restaurant industry for a bit, but returned, resolved to immerse myself with people and companies that embrace the same values that were engrained in me at an early age: attention to detail with quality product and ingredients. Working for a small Artisan Bakery became the next step in my journey where I witnessed the meticulous detail applied to all aspects of their business.

Working in Raleigh as a wine distributor, I fell in love with the area and became resolved to introduce the Oak City to a true English Muffin.

I married my long-term boyfriend, and, we brought our first child into the world. We continue to push forward as parents and hardworking entrepreneurs.

Our Mission statement says it clearly: Michael’s English Muffins is a hard-working team of talented individuals committed to making the most awesome English Muffins every day, serving them with an unrivaled level of hospitality. What sets us apart is the English Muffins go through a 12–24-hour process where every gram that goes into the batch matters. it is a true labor of love, and you can taste the difference. Again, I hear my dad’s voice, “attention to detail, attention to detail, attention to detail!” This is my history, and it is my future.

MICHAEL'S ENGLISH MUFFINS

My story starts before me. My father’s parents got their start in the restaurant world, and our family has continued in the restaurant industry for nearly a century. My father and his brother broadened the legacy with multiple restaurants, the iconic Cincinnati restaurant The Maisonette being the crown jewel.

After college, I left the restaurant industry for a bit, but returned, resolved to immerse myself with people and companies that embrace the same values that were engrained in me at an early age: attention to detail with quality product and ingredients. Working for a small Artisan Bakery became the next step in my journey where I witnessed the meticulous detail applied to all aspects of their business.

Working in Raleigh as a wine distributor, I fell in love with the area and became resolved to introduce the Oak City to a true English Muffin.

I married my long-term boyfriend, and, we brought our first child into the world. We continue to push forward as parents and hardworking entrepreneurs.

Our Mission statement says it clearly: Michael’s English Muffins is a hard-working team of talented individuals committed to making the most awesome English Muffins every day, serving them with an unrivaled level of hospitality.

What sets us apart is the English Muffins go through a 12–24-hour process where every gram that goes into the batch matters. It is a true labor of love, and you can taste the difference. Again, I hear my dad’s voice, “attention to detail, attention to detail, attention to detail!” This is my history, and it is my future.

MICHAEL'S ENGLISH MUFFINS

HOMELAND CREAMERY

In 1930, our grandfather, Roy Bowman, expanded the family farm with a handful of dairy cows. Over the next 60 years, the herd grew steadily, and in the late ’90s, Roy’s grandsons Chris and David built their own creamery.The most unique quality to our products is the method in which we pasteurize. Most milk today is pasteurized under the HTST (High Temperature Short Time) Pasteurization method, where milk is pasteurized at 161 degrees for 15 seconds. This method allows milk plants to pasteurize more milk in a shorter period of time.At Homeland Creamery, we know that you can’t rush flavor. Vat Pasteurization is one of the earlier methods used in cooking milk. This method heats the milk in batches at a lower temperature for about 30 minutes. During this method, a high percentage of the milk's natural enzymes and beneficial bacteria is retained which adds to the flavor and health benefits of the milk.Our family prides itself in our sustainable farming practices. By recycling cow manure and using No Till soil conservation, we help improve wildlife habitat and reduce greenhouse gases and fuel use.We are passionate about helping our customers learn how Homeland milk is made and about caring for our herd as part of the family — because the best ice cream starts with happy cows.

LOCOPOPS

LocoPops is best known for where we began: our pops!

In 2004, LocoPops founder and owner Summer Bicknell traveled to Tlazazalca, Mexico to learn how to make a treat she loved: Mexican-style popsicles, known as paletas.  When considering where to open her own business, a fortuitous stop for gas on a road trip brought her to Durham, North Carolina. Durham felt like home from the start.

We are grateful for our community and love partnering with local agencies and school organizations to give back.

In 2020, we created Give Back Days to share a portion of our revenue with local partners and we collected Pay-It-Forward Donation Pops in partnership with local economic or pandemic need-based agencies to provide treats to folks during this extraordinary time.  Connect with us to inquire about collaborating.

MICHAEL'S ENGLISH MUFFINS

LADYFINGERS

After extensive five star training at the Little Nell Hotel in Aspen Colorado and 10 years of experience in fine dining, catering, hospitality, and event consulting in Charleston, South Carolina, Ladyfingers owner, Tudi Jackson knew it was time to make her way back to Raleigh. In 2003 while working as a buyer for NOFO at the Pig, Tudi began her career with Ladyfingers as the event coordinator and hasn’t looked back since. In 2013, she made Ladyfingers her own alongside her husband and business partner, David, and keeps her hands in every aspect of the business she has come to love dearly. "It’s truly a family-run business — from our long-time kitchen staff to our event coordinators. Everything that we do for our clients is done in the same way we’d appreciate and expect it to be done for us in our own homes. Our clients’ experiences reflect directly on us, and we will do everything we can to exceed their expectations."