How Black Food Business Owners Walk the DEI Tightrope | Eater

"Founded and led by Arsha Jones, this D.C.-rooted food brand produces a version of mambo sauce—a sweet, tangy red condiment with roots in the city since the 1960s—that the founder views as culturally significant. Landing shelf space at major retailers felt like validation of the product and the community it represents, and retail distribution now supplies the majority of the company’s sales (direct-to-consumer accounts for roughly 15 percent). Jones emphasizes the grocery aisle’s power to introduce new customers, but also warns that retail relationships carry risks: retailers can ask brands to absorb costs when products are pulled, threatening payroll, benefits, and smaller wholesale partners. In response to recent corporate rollbacks of diversity initiatives, the company has not removed products from stores but is doubling down on serving the D.C. community, growing locally, and diversifying retail partners so consumers have choices about how to continue supporting the brand." - Arionne Nettles