KC Masterpiece facts for kids

KC Masterpiece is a very popular barbecue sauce known for its delicious flavor. It is sold by a company called HV Food Products, which is part of a bigger company called Clorox.

The Story of KC Masterpiece Sauce

How the Sauce Began

KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce was first made in 1977. A man named Richard E. "Rich" Davis created it. He was a child psychiatrist who lived in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Davis had studied medicine at the University of Kansas.

Rich Davis was born in 1926 in Joplin, Missouri. He passed away in 2015 when he was 89 years old.

From Idea to Store Shelves

When Dr. Davis first made his sauce, he called it "KC Soul Style Barbecue Sauce." It started with just five simple ingredients. Later, he changed the name to "KC Masterpiece."

He wanted to sell his sauce in grocery stores. So, he showed it to different food companies in the Kansas City area. Many companies were not sure about taking a chance on a new sauce.

Eventually, Dr. Davis met a man named Jim Flynn. Jim Flynn worked in food sales. He tasted the sauce and immediately saw how special it was. He believed the sauce could be a big hit.

Selling the Sauce

Jim Flynn had a great idea for selling the sauce. He suggested giving out free samples in local supermarkets. This simple plan worked wonderfully!

The first weekend the sauce was sold, people bought more than 36,000 bottles. Stores even ran out of the sauce because it was so popular! Over the next few years, KC Masterpiece sauce sold more and more.

Becoming a National Brand

In 1986, after almost ten years of success, Dr. Davis received an offer. A company called The HV Food Products Company wanted to buy KC Masterpiece. This company is a part of Clorox. They wanted to sell the sauce all across the country.

Dr. Davis agreed to sell the brand. However, he kept the right to use his sauce in restaurants he planned to open. He did open several restaurants, but they all eventually closed. The last one closed in 2009.