Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Desmangles
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Pickled Pepper People began about three years ago in Greenville, SC. As a passionate foodie who loved hosting and sharing meals with friends, I saw food as a way to bring people together. Being a first-generation Haitian-American, I had the unique opportunity to blend my family’s rich Haitian heritage with American culture, and for us, culture comes alive most vibrantly through food.
One of my favorite things to share was Haitian “pikliz” – a spicy vegetable slaw that reflected the bold flavors of Haiti. For many, it was something entirely new—both in taste and experience. The response was always the same: “You should package and sell this slaw!” Inspired by these words and my desire to share Haiti’s vibrant culture with the world, I embarked on the journey of becoming an entrepreneur.
We began with a single product—the original Pikay Fire Slaw (our brand of Haitian pikliz)—which quickly became a favorite among local buyers. Customer feedback inspired us to explore new flavors and varying heat levels. Today, we offer three different heat levels and are actively developing even more products to expand our lineup.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting the business was far from easy. With limited funds and significant personal expenses – including college tuition for my children, and a mortgage, I worked relentlessly to obtain the required certifications and navigate the maze of regulatory requirements. Beyond compliance, financing proved to be a major hurdle, and the high cost of equipment added to the strain. Today, our biggest challenge is building brand awareness. We focus on leveraging social media, participating in local events, and engaging with community networks to increase visibility and connect with our target audience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Pickled Pepper People is a minority owned business that produces and sells a family of spicy condiments inspired by traditional Haitian cuisine. Our products are known to our customers as “Pikay Slaws”. Our signature “Pikay FIRE Slaw” features habanero peppers. Recently added to our product line are our “Pikay MILD Slaw”, which features serrano peppers and our “Pikay DEATH Slaw”, which features ghost peppers.
At The Pickled Pepper People, we make a conscious effort to source all of our vegetables through local farmers and growers, ensuring that we have the highest quality and the freshest vegetables for our spicy slaws. We work directly with Feed & Seed Co. in Greenville, SC – a non-profit that increases food security in a local food desert, incentivizes local farmers to increase and diversify their crops, promotes healthier lifestyles in the local community and stimulates the local economy. By partnering with Feed & Seed Co. we are able to invest in our local community while growing our business.
Through this partnership we procure vegetables from local farms. We are proud to include Feed & Seed Co. as one of the local vendors who sell our products in the local community. We also support the local economy by contracting with them to process our ingredients, to use their commercial kitchen for production, and to store our supplies and finished products.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is waking up to the joyful sounds of my mom, aunts, and grandmother cooking and laughing together in the kitchen. The food was always incredible, and I especially loved getting to help my uncle make traditional Haitian patties with flour and shortening. Being surrounded by family, cooking, and sharing delicious meals brought me so much happiness. It’s a tradition I deeply cherish and one I’m committed to passing down to my own children.
Pricing:
- Fire Slaw – $9.99
- Mild Slaw – $9.99
- Death Slaw – $12.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pickledpepperpeople.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickledpepperpeople/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pickledpepperpeople/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pickledpeppeep
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pickledpepperpeople?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
