About SalsaQueen Zapata

SalsaQueen (yes, that’s her legal name) started her business in 2014 as a single mother in order to provide for her 7 children. Since then, the company (also Salsa Queen) has quickly grown into one of the largest regional producers of fresh, gourmet salsas now in more than 1500 stores in 30+ states. However, to truly understand the remarkable story of SalsaQueen, one must go back even further.

SalsaQueen immigrated to the US with her family when she was still a teenager and spoke no English. She spent 19-months practically living at the Children’s Hospital when her first child was being treated for leukemia. Unfortunately, he passed away, but she was blessed with 7 others.

As a result of her divorce, she found herself needing to provide for her children without any work experience or even a high school degree. It was important that her new business reflect her love of cooking and cultural background, which is how Salsa Queen was born.

At first, orders were generated from Facebook postings. She and her children would make the salsas around their small kitchen in their Magna house. On Saturday, she would drive to various parking lots throughout the Salt Lake valley and meet up with the buyers. Knowing that there was a market for her gourmet products, she applied to various farmers’ markets and was accepted into the Wheeler Farmers’ Market. At the end of the season, she was able to get into four local stores before eventually getting into Kroger and Associated Foods the following year. In addition to those chains, Salsa Queen can be found in Costco, Smart&Final, and Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s locations along with hundreds of independent stores.

Day of the Dead (Nov. 2nd) is an important holiday in Mexican culture. It is a day to remember family members who have passed on. The Sugar Skull is prominently displayed and closely associated with this holiday. She incorporated the sugar skull as the Salsa Queen logo and it is a constant reminder of her first child who passed away, so for her Salsa Queen is the ultimate in a family-owned business.

One of her proudest accomplishments is that her initial motivation of providing for her family is now allowing her 40+ employees to provide for theirs. In 2019, she completed the naturalization process during which time she legally changed her name to ‘SalsaQueen Zapata’. Salsa Queen LLC is 100% Woman/Minority owned and is living proof that the America dream is alive, vibrant and attainable.