The Smitty Bros SauceCast: The Story Part Three – The Aftermath of Bitchin’ Sauce

Picking Up the Pieces After Bitchin’ Sauce

The Smitty Bros Sauce Cast continues with another gripping chapter in the Bitchin’ Sauce saga. After choosing not to take legal action against their sister, the Smitty brothers found themselves at a crossroads. With no company, no money, and an uncertain future, they had to figure out their next steps.

Starting Over with Nothing

After walking away from Bitchin’ Sauce, the brothers were left with nothing—not even a paycheck. The business they had spent years building was now out of their hands, leaving them to regroup, rebuild, and survive.

With no income and nowhere to turn, Ryan moved in with Porter, bringing his wife and baby into the lower half of Porter’s rental home. It was a temporary solution, but one that allowed them to put their heads together and figure out what was next. Friends and family supported them during this time as they tried to regain their footing.

They were not the only ones who left Bitchin’ Sauce. Their parents, younger brother, and several employees who had been part of the original company also walked away. It was a mass exodus—essentially, anyone outside of their sister and her husband’s family left the company. It became clear that the heart and soul of Bitchin’ Sauce were now gone.

A Final Break from Bitchin’ Sauce

One of the first things the brothers had to do was completely separate themselves from Bitchin’ Sauce legally. Even though they had built the company together, their sister had already claimed full control. To make a clean break, they signed over their shares and nullified any non-compete or NDA agreements that tied them to the brand. It was the final step in cutting ties with Bitchin’ Sauce for good.

This was a surreal moment. For years, they had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into Bitchin’ Sauce, only to walk away with nothing. But they had no choice—they had to move forward.

The Birth of a New Sauce 

After much prayer and soul-searching under a pepper tree in Porter’s front yard, they decided to do what they did best: make sauce. They knew that the demand for nut-based sauces was still growing, and the market had yet to be fully captured. Bitchin’ Sauce had grown, but there was still plenty of room for competition—and who better to take on Bitchin’ Sauce than the guys who originally built it?

That’s when they launched Good Lovin’ Foods, their next venture. They weren’t just coming back—they were coming back bigger, stronger, and with a better product. They took everything they had learned from Bitchin’ Sauce and improved upon it.

Going Head-to-Head with Bitchin’ Sauce

With Good Lovin’ Foods, they knew they had to move fast. They raised funds, brought in investors, and made their move. Within the first year, they:

• Landed Whole Foods accounts, placing their product right next to Bitchin’ Sauce.

• Secured three Costco regions, expanding faster than they ever had with Bitchin’ Sauce.

• Introduced new organic and extended shelf-life products, improving on their past recipes.

• Launched their own organic tortilla chips, further diversifying their product line.

To fuel their success, they went all-in on demos—just like they had done in the early days of Bitchin’ Sauce. They relocated, traveled, and worked tirelessly in stores. They were once again the tip of the spear in the nut-based sauce market, and it was working.

Bitchin' Sauce Follows Suit

As they gained momentum, Bitchin’ Sauce made some changes.

• They changed their packaging—removing Ryans face from the lid but still keeping his body in the logo (yes, really!).

• They extended their shelf life to match their improvements.

• They launched their own organic version after seeing their success in that category.

But the biggest move came not from Bitchin’ Sauce, but from a surprising new player: their own co-packer.

Betrayal: The Co-Packer’s Play

The brothers had partnered with a hummus manufacturer to co-pack their new sauce. The company was well-connected in Costco and had been approached about creating a Bitchin’ Sauce knockoff. At first, they seemed loyal, even sharing information about Costco’s interest.

Then, one day, during a Costco roadshow, Porter walked into a store and saw something shocking: a new almond dip on the shelf, sitting right next to their product.

It was their own co-packer’s product—a blatant copy of their sauce.

Not only had the co-packer launched their own competing product, but they had also undercut the brothers' price in Costco. In an instant, years of work were wiped away. Their biggest accounts were gone. Their fast-growing company was dead in the water.

The Collapse of Good Lovin’ Foods

With no way to fulfill their Costco orders and no co-packer willing to work with them, they were forced to shut down Good Lovin’ Foods. It was over. Once again, they were left with nothing.

It was one of the lowest points of their lives. They had been betrayed by their own partners, much like what had happened with Bitchin’ Sauce.

But even in that moment, they knew one thing: they would rise again.

What’s Next? The Story Continues…

After losing everything—again—they had a decision to make. Would they quit? Or would they fight back once more?

In the next episode of Smitty Bros Sauce Cast, they dive into the next chapter: their reinvention, a bold new direction, and the surprising lessons that came from losing their sauce company not once, but twice.

Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.