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Michael Sharlow and his daughter Marissa have long shared a culinary passion and love for spice. After establishing their gourmet hot sauce company SYRACHA’CUSE in 2015, the father and daughter duo opened the company’s first brick-and-mortar store in late October.

Located in Camillus, the Market & Tasting Bar sells between 12 and 14 unique flavors of hot sauces, which are all vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free. It also offers a subscription box service, where participants receive a new flavor of sauce every month. SYRACHA’CUSE coordinates the monthly subscription box sauce flavors with the season and will introduce a holiday hot sauce right before Thanksgiving.

Michael Sharlow and his daughter Marissa founded their hot sauce business SYRACHA’CUSE in 2015. Courtesy of Michael Sharlow

The name SYRACHA’CUSE comes from the family’s long-standing connection to the city of Syracuse. Michael spent most of his adult life in the city, along with his wife, who attended Syracuse University, and their daughter Marissa was born and raised here.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the vision for the storefront was to combine a tasting bar and marketplace to provide a holistic experience for customers, Michael said. This idea stemmed from the company’s beginnings, when it sold its products at local farmers markets and festivals across New York.

In addition to its commitment to using local ingredients, SYRACHA’CUSE is dedicated to sharing its space with other small businesses. Over their two years in the farmers market business, Michael and Marissa met local artisans and established relationships with other small businesses.

To utilize the space of its new storefront, SYRACHA’CUSE teamed up with a selection of vendors to sell its products. Businesses that the hot sauce company partners with include 1911 Beak & Skiff, Syracuse Clothing Company and Dutch Hill Maple, among others. SYRACHA’CUSE offers gourmet maple syrups, honey, mustards, olive oils, nut butters and other locally-produced goods from these businesses.

“As a small business, we definitely want to support other small businesses,” Marissa said. “We know what it’s like.”

Lynne Della Pelle Pascale is the owner of Farmer Street Pantry, a small business based in Syracuse that specializes in traditional and modern “orchard fruit recipes.” Pascale met Michael and Marissa in 2017.

Farmer Street Pantry is one of the 11 local businesses that sell its products in the SYRACHA’CUSE storefront. It offers mincemeat, spiced cherries, orange sriracha salad dressing and apple sauce with maple flavoring.

“When people ask you to partner with them, it’s always a wonderful thing,” Pascale said. “I’m so happy that he has confidence in our products that they will represent his store well.”

Opening a small business during a pandemic has its challenges. Michael said he and Marissa were apprehensive about the commitment to a physical store, a worry worsened by the pandemic.

In addition to hot sauce, SYRACHA’CUSE sells products from local businesses such as 1911 Beak & Skiff, Syracuse Clothing Co. and Dutch Hill Maple. Courtesy of Michael Sharlow

Michael and Marissa also plan to open a hot sauce tasting bar at the storefront once it becomes safe to do so. Despite restrictions, including mandatory face coverings and extra sanitary measures, the store has been thriving so far, mainly thanks to its customers, Michael said.

“The community has been awesome. It’s really beyond my expectations, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” he said. “People want to shop local. They like the community aspect. And we’re going to do a lot more as things improve.”

Published on November 3, 2020 at 9:56 pm