Walmart is giving
a big boost to a homegrown Orlando company, O’Dang Hummus, with a new deal to place its hummus salad dressings in 2,000 stores.
Walmart is giving a big boost to a homegrown Orlando company, O’Dang Hummus, with a new deal to place its hummus salad dressings in 2,000 stores.
But don’t look for it by the hummus in the deli. The new product will be side-by-side with traditional oil-based dressings.
It’s a dream come true for entrepreneur and University of Central Florida graduate Jesse Wolfe, the founder and CEO of O’Dang Hummus who you might have seen on ABC TV’s Shark Tank in 2015.
“It’s literally hitting the shelves at this very moment, which gives me goosebumps to think about,” Wolfe said Tuesday.
Walmart spokesman Scott Markley said the O’Dang deal is part of Walmart’s commitment to buy $250 billion in products supporting American jobs by 2023.
“By investing in products that support American jobs, such as O’Dang Hummus, we are able to bring new and exciting products to our shelves that our customers want and new jobs to local communities,” Markley said.
Some Publix and Whole Foods stores have carried O’Dang products for years, but the Walmart deal will vastly expand its footprint. Walmart accepted Wolfe into a program for entrepreneurs in June 2017.
“The product we created with the salad dressing is really innovative, so they said, ‘We just want to put you in and let you run,’ ” according to Wolfe, 31, of Baldwin Park. He declined to talk about revenue associated with the deal.
“We are making a little more money now than when I sold at our farmer’s market,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve spent the last six months scaling up because our goal was to scale up nationally.”
He has struck a partnership with Windermere-based Keen Growth Capital, which is led by experienced consumer product developer and marketer Jerry Bello. Keen has also been involved in such products as Brownie Brittle and Pasta Chips.
Wolfe said about 20 to 50 workers are producing O’Dang products between his employees, Keen’s and their manufacturer, depending on demand.
He didn’t expect to get this far this fast. He credits ’s entrepreneur center and incubator programs for giving him resources and training.
Walmart is the first place where O’Dang is placing its newest line of dressings, including six flavors: Ranch, Buffalo Ranch, Honey Mustard, Caesar, Roasted Red Pepper and Greek Tzatziki.
O’Dang is selling the fact that the dressings have fuller flavor than “low-calorie’’ dressings. Because it’s vegetable-based, the dressings are said to be only 25 to 45 calories per serving. Wolfe says you can also use the dressing on salads, as a dip or as a marinade.
The company says it uses U.S.grown, non-GMO chickpeas only.
“It’s literally hitting the shelves at this very moment, which gives me goosebumps to think about.” Jesse Wolfe, founder and CEO of O’Dang Hummus