We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike and Michelle Dallas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike and Michelle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We had been competing in chili cook-offs in our region and had a decent amount of success. A lot of people asked us if we had a restaurant or sold our chili anywhere. We did some research and noticed that most of the chili seasoning blends on the market were not complete. We decided to take the leap and start developing recipes that would be complete and easy for folks to make a delicious pot of chili.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets us apart and what we are most proud of is our family story. Our father-daughter team founded this company and we do the day to day business activities to keep our company moving forward. We continue to grow and each year our sales surpass the previous year. We got to where we are by taking small steps and making small bits of progress each day. It has not been easy and we’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. We’ve had our fair share of design and packaging challenges, among other issues. We overcome challenges by being persistent and never giving up. We believe in ourselves and our company’s future enough to continue the journey when times get tough.
Our brand is resilient and we have high hopes for the future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would have to take a short camping trip to Curt Gowdy State Park, a few miles west of Cheyenne. We’d likely pack more food than necessary for such a short outing. We would want to visit the Wyoming State Museum and the Old West Museum. We could go on the city boot tour for some nice photo ops.
We’d love to take them to grab a pizza and go enjoy a beer on a patio at one of our local breweries. Maybe catch a game while we’re there.
The City puts on a nice concert series during the summer on Friday nights. And, of course, there’s Cheyenne Frontier Days in July, which offers many different events to attend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mike’s Grandpa Howard was the inspiration for our company/brand due to his love for chili.

Website: https://fathowardschili.com/

Instagram: @fathowardschili

Facebook: @fathowardschili

Image Credits
Janelle Rose Photography

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