Combining her entrepreneurial skills with her experience as a chef, food writer and recipe developer, Aranita launched her sauce brand, Poi Dog, in 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to close her eponymous restaurant, food truck, and catering company that offered Hawaiian local food in Philadelphia, Pa.
Aranita’s timing aligns with the booming global condiment and sauce market, which is expected to grow from $89.75 billion in 2023 to $135.60 billion in 2030 with a CAGR of 6.07% during the forecast period. The category offers a variety of benefits for consumers who are cooking at home more often and seeking easy meals featuring unique and global flavors.
Building Poi Dog through retail and strategic partnerships
Leveraging her extensive culinary network, Aranita forged strategic partnerships to expand Poi Dog’s presence in stores like Pop Up Grocer and Whole Foods Markets, among others.
Her professional relationships also helped her collaborate with Chopt Creative Salad Co. to create the Huli Huli chicken bowl and more recently with Side Project Jerky’s Huli Chicken jerky, introducing the brand to new audiences in different formats.
Capturing Hawaii in a bottle
Poi Dog’s blend of flavors is inspired by Aranita’s Hawaii heritage. The brand’s three core sauces – Poi Dog Huli, Guava Katsu and Chili Peppah Water – offer chefs, foodservice operators and consumers a variety of heat and spice.
Poi Dog Huli Sauce features a blend of pineapple, miso and Chinese five-spice, which she says reflects her Chinese background. Guava Katsu, a vegan Japanese-style barbecue and dipping sauce combines guava, miso, ginger, tomato and dried mushroom. And Chili Peppah Water features espelette and ancho peppers from Boonville Barn Collective and was inspired from her family’s own take of chili pepper water consumed during home barbecues.
While Aranita is establishing her brand in retail stores around the country, she said she proudly considers herself “a restaurant person at heart.” Poi Dog’s sauces provide chefs and foodservice professionals a convenient way to enhance their dishes with traditional Hawaiian flavors, she said.
