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Next time you go to the grocery store and see a familiar-looking container of salsa with a Day of the Dead sugar skull on it, you're going to remember this story.
Perhaps you, like so many others, have already discovered the flavorful delights of the locally-produced Salsa Queen salsa. And if you haven't, just read through some of the Google reviews:
"This salsa is phenomenal," writes one customer. "Every flavor sets the standard for how salsa should taste and the texture it should carry."
Another adds, "If you haven't tried Salsa Queen's salsas, have you really lived? Their salsas go great with anything from chips to tacos. If you need a boat of flavor, Salsa Queen is the way to go!"
But as incredible as the flavors are, nothing is more impressive than the woman who brought the brand to life and literally became "SalsaQueen." Here's how this single mom of seven went from food stamps to a food empire with a simple recipe and a lot of determination.
From the farmers markets to local grocery stores
Before legally changing her name to "SalsaQueen" (yes, she did that), Maharba Zapata was a single, twice-divorced mother of seven with no job, no money and no help from anyone other than food stamps and Medicaid. And that was just eight years ago.
Her then-boyfriend (now husband) Jim Birch encouraged her to support her family on her own by selling some of her salsa that people loved. When the first 40 containers she made sold quickly on Facebook, Zapata decided to try her hand at selling larger containers at local farmers markets. (Her children helped prepare and distribute it.) That's when the snowball really started rolling.
She started doing cooking segments on local television, meeting up with customers at the park and finally deciding to sell her salsa at The Market in Park City, quickly followed by several other local stores. (If you happened to be there, you might remember the lady doling out salsa samples in a crown.)
The success gave her the courage to approach other grocery stores including Smith's, Harmon's, Associated Foods and Sprout's. Now you can find Salsa Queen in just about any store along the Wasatch Front, as well as 25 other states in addition to shipping throughout the US. With the new line of Freeze-Dried salsas, orders are coming in from as far away as Finland opening up the international market.
The iconic sugar skull label has a specific meaning as well. Her first child passed away from leukemia at a young 19-months-old. The sugar skull is a constant reminder of him and the importance of family.
Becoming the literal SalsaQueen
It was Birch's idea to brand her business "Salsa Queen," which Zapata initially balked at because she thought the name was "stupid." But the moniker stuck and she eventually loved it enough to make it her legal first name when she became a U.S. citizen in 2019. Yes, all forms of her identification now read "SalsaQueen Zapata."
What the Queen of Salsa is up to today
Zapata's business has grown so much over the years, she's frequently had to find new facilities with bigger kitchens and more staff. Today, SalsaQueen's empire is headquartered in West Valley — but tomorrow, you might just find her products on the moon. Birch, who also acts as General Manager for Salsa Queen, dreams of being the official salsa of Elon Musk's SpaceX with their recently developed portable, freeze-dried versions of the famous salsa.
Zapata may be the queen but she adds that Birch is very much her king and she credits him for encouraging her to take a leap with her own dreams.
In an article for the Deseret News last year, Zapata said, "I tell him, 'Thank you for giving me the wings to fly,' and he says, 'You had them all along, you just had to realize it.' We all have the wings. It just takes somebody to believe in us and to grab us by the hand and give us a little kick and there you go."
Now that you know the story, it's time to give Salsa Queen a try if you haven't already. You can find their products online or at your local grocery store. Just look for that iconic sugar skull-branded container!
