NOVEMBER 21, 2020
In the practice of Feng Shui, it is commonly understood if you spot an elephant with its trunk up, it is a sign of good luck.
Such is the case for a small but growing, family business in Marysville, WA. Paunchy Elephant, S.P.C, owned by Tamyra McKay and her family, produces high-quality, organic lemonade, ice teas, and a home-made, signature barbecue sauce. You may know the one. The one with the stout orange elephant on the label and his trunk is pointing up! This cute little figure is the mascot for Paunchy Elephant, representing all they stand for as a family and bringing them good fortune too.
But luck is not the sole ingredient to their success, there are a few dashes of hard work thrown into this family business making age-old family recipes.
The birth of Paunchy Elephant began as a favor from McKay to her mom, who was nearing retirement from the Olympia School District. It started as a singular idea and a simple request: could she help her mom figure out selling her barbecue sauce in stores?
(Image: Paunchy Elephant)
McKay’s mom had been making this popular sauce for over 20 years. With as many requests as she received for it, her thought leaned to a nice retirement side hustle. Upon researching the do’s and don’ts of creating a food brand, McKay soon discovered a lot more was involved than originally thought.
In addition to scaling up her mother’s recipe, she began experimenting with favorite drink recipes, primarily lemonade and teas, to accent the barbecue sauce. At first, this might seem like an unusual pairing but McKay explained it clearly.
“Our family is originally from the South, so for us, sitting outside enjoying barbecue, family time, and sweet drinks is second nature.”
And this is exactly the feeling the McKay family wishes to pass on to their customers through Paunchy Elephant. The feeling of fulfillment like those leisurely summer afternoons satiated with good food, good drinks, and good cheer.
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