Food is love – it warms homes and hearts, and those who share the gift of food with others often do so with the intention of spreading that love. That’s certainly the story for Karen Orton.
“What started as something made with love for family and friends would eventually become a business of its own,” says Orton, who owns and operates Orton’s House Seasonings in Oklahoma.
Orton’s began as a cottage food business in the Orton’s home kitchen, where the family made and packaged their own blends. As word spread and demand grew, their little kitchen operation, in just two years time, became a full-blown brand name. Outgrowing the house, the team moved production to a manufacturing plant in Mustang.
Today, Orton’s House Seasonings can be found in more than 30 retail stores, and five local restaurants use Orton’s blends in their kitchens. Their seasonings have also made their way into homes across all 50 states and even in international markets.
The work wasn’t easy. Success meant showing up, promoting the brand, connecting with customers, offering samples, building relationships with retailers and continuing to remind people why they should choose the product.
“We’ve learned that building a successful food brand takes more than creating a great product,” Orton confirms. “It takes patience, persistence, marketing, consistency and a willingness to keep going even when the results don’t happen overnight.”
While Orton’s started out in a home kitchen, Goodytwos Toffee Company has operated from a commercial kitchen from the start.
Goodytwos, based in Tulsa, was originally founded by a mother-daughter duo who paired a treasured family toffee recipe with beautiful packaging.
Now-owner Melinda Stinnett’s relationship with Goodytwos began nearly 20 years ago, when she received a beautiful white gift box filled with toffee. The entire experience – from the beautiful presentation to the toffee itself – felt special from the moment it was received.
“When the founders decided to sell the business in 2020, Melinda and her husband, Joel, knew they wanted to carry it forward,” says Licia Sorrentino, GM of Goodytwos.
The current owners have focused on honoring what made the company special to begin with, building its next chapter, and preserving the quality, craftsmanship and beautiful gifting experience that made Melinda fall in love with the brand in the first place.
Joyce Horton began making cobbler 35 years ago in her home, selling to friends and family.
In 2014, she finally took the leap into a full business – Cobblermom – leasing commercial kitchens to support her growing business to an online and national customer base, all the while making the cobbler herself. It took a while to find her brand, but over time, Horton found the voice of Cobblermom.
Eventually, she opened a brick-and-mortar store, but has since taken a break from the physical location. However, she still honors the cottage business model as she continues to produce cobbler for her adoring customers through online sales, pop-ups at Sam’s Club, and local events across the country.
“I think food is a language, a love language even, so it feels good to be able to help spread love in that kind of way,” says Horton.
There’s no right way to begin a food business, and there’s no best way to share love. The point is to just start – knowing there will be hurdles to jump over and hard work to be done. In the end, the effort is worth the love expressed through food.
