Trey Bacon is an LSU grad with a degree in finance who always thought he’d be a commercial real estate agent. Fast forward to 2014 and Bacon is turning heads with his barbecue sauce, Tres Bien Que.
“I’ve been making it since I was 15 years old,” he says. “I gradually let more and more people try it, and people kept saying it was really good.”
This August, the 26-year-old took his friends’ and family’s advice and bottled the sauce, using a name his grandfather suggested. When the website was set up, sales took off.
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“I’m shipping it all over the country,” he says. “I’ve had sales in Alaska, D.C., Maine, Colorado … it’s incredible.”
When first considering bottling Tres Bien Que, Bacon realized the market was saturated. To set himself apart, he focused on Louisiana flavors. The sauce’s main ingredients are black sweet tea, a little bit of brown sugar and some special seasonings that make Tres Bien Que go well with everything from brisket to broccoli to boiled shrimp.
“When I first started thinking about this, there wasn’t a true Louisiana barbecue sauce out with that Louisiana flavor that would go well on brisket, chicken and pork as well as seafood,” he says. “This is more than just something for your meats.”
Tres Bien Que is currently available at Alexander’s Highland Market and Shopper’s Choice at 10920 Coursey Blvd. The next step for Bacon is getting the sauce in more stores. For now, he’s making as much as he can out of his house with help from his mom, Karen.
“During football season, I’ve been taking it to tailgates and handing it to people to get the name out,” he says. “Once the season dies down, I’ll get it into more local stores. Getting into food distribution, a lot of this stuff is completely new. I’ve got to read everything I can on it. But seeing people’s response at those markets is awesome.”
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For more information, visit Bacon’s website.