ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-area hot sauce company Hot Charlie's has inked a deal with Schnuck Markets for its new line of frozen pizzas.
The company, owned and operated by Charlie Backer, will begin offering two frozen pizza selections — spicy chicken bacon ranch and spicy meat lovers — at Schnucks in late June. Backer created a third frozen pizza, called the spicy cheese, but for now, Schnucks has decided to carry just the two, he said.
"The spicy cheese is still available, but honestly, the spicy chicken bacon ranch is so tasty and unique, I think people are going to go crazy," Backer said. "It's been a major hit during the initial tastings."
Backer said he was stuck at home during COVID-19 and was simply hoping to "spice up the family meals," but he decided to reach out to Schnucks, too.
"I saw how supportive Schnucks was with other tasty local pizza creations, so I approached them and they seem to be really fired up about it," he said of how the partnership came about.
Schnucks already carries frozen pizza offerings from Gioia's Deli, as well as pizzas from the 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Mama Lucia's partnership, which includes the Red Hot Riplets chicken pizza, Mission Taco Joint Mexican pizza, Sugarfire BBQ chicken pizza and City Wide BBQ pork pizza.
The Hot Charlie's frozen pizzas are made with the company's hot sauce dust as part of the topping mix. Hot Charlie's also offers a ghost pepper hot sauce, the original Hot Charlie's hot sauce, and others. Prior to the pandemic, Backer's products were offered in nearly all states and at retailers such as HomeGoods.
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