Richard Hanley, Jr. is quickly making salads better in the Baton Rouge area. He is a startup food entrepreneur who launched the first Hanley’s Salad Dressing flavor, Sensation, in November 2012 with his company Hanley’s Foods. Based out of Baton Rouge food incubator Edible Enterprises, Sensation is a handmade, gluten free dressing with no GMOs or other, “junk,” as they call it.
Richard said that business is going really well, they are selling out at farmer markets and some stores are even selling 20 cases per week. Right now, they are only selling in Baton Rouge, but plan to expand to a few New Orleans stores in June. I was lucky enough to get a taste of Sensation and, trust me, it’s amazing!
Hanley’s is growing and is already up to producing and selling 1,200 bottles per month. In January, Hanley’s held a contest where fans could vote on the next salad dressing flavor. The flavor choices were Greek, Crack, or Strawberry Vinaigrette. Strawberry Vinaigrette was the winner and will be likely launching later this year.
Richard mentioned that LSU is starting their own incubator in which tenants get access to food scientists and students. He said it is a great time for food entrepreneurs in south Louisiana. Edible Enterprises has been noted as one of the fastest growing food incubators in the country and the others may just follow suit.
In addition to dressing your salads, Richard just launched a new podcast called The DOcast, in which he interviews entrepreneurs about their story and how others can learn from them. So far, he has interviewed Sean Simone, Jay Ducote, and Gaye Sandoz. A few of his upcoming guests include Jared Loftus, Paul Dietzel, Dan Andrews, Glenda McKinley. Keep an eye yet because SBN will be covering The DOcast in the near future!
For more information about Richard’s ventures, visit hanleysfoods.com and thedocast.net.