What The Spice House does

The Spice House, founded in 1957 and operating as The Spice House, LLC, is a US-based direct-to-consumer specialty spice retailer headquartered in Evanston, Illinois with a customer service office in Chicago. The company curates and sells a catalog of 400+ premium spices, herbs, signature blends, and extracts sourced from a curated global network of growers, with all blending performed in small, weekly batches for freshness. The product portfolio spans single-origin spices (peppercorns, cinnamon, chiles, salts), proprietary signature blends (Lakeshore Shallot & Herb, Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper, Great North Maple Garlic), limited-edition seasonal SKUs (Raspberry Margarita Salt, Yuzu Citrus Set), and co-branded chef collections with Masaharu Morimoto (Japanese-inspired seasonings), James Beard Award winner Rodney Scott (Southern BBQ rubs), and Intelligentsia Coffee. Additional categories include curated gift boxes, a custom gift box builder, value bundles, and no-chop convenience products.

The business is anchored on a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce site at thespicehouse.com, supported by three physical retail stores in the Chicago metropolitan area (Chicago, Evanston, Naperville) offering buy-online-pick-up-in-store, and by club-channel distribution through Costco (Midwest, Los Angeles, San Diego, Southwest) and Sam's Club. Ancillary revenue comes from a corporate gifting program and a wholesale channel for restaurants and retailers. The technology stack is conventional: Shopify for commerce and payments (ShopPay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Pay), Google Analytics for traffic analysis, and Microsoft Clarity for session replay. Pricing follows unit economics across jar ($7.99-$9.99), flatpack ($7.79-$9.79), and bulk bag ($14.49-$24.49) formats, with gift sets ranging from $14 to $175; free shipping applies to flatpacks and orders over $49.

The primary customer is the home cook (persona segment), with secondary segments including professional/Michelin chefs, gift buyers, and corporate/B2B clients. The company is led by CEO Allyson Lewis, with founders William and Ruth Penzey still associated with the business and Melinda Kennedy as VP of Marketing. The Spice House is privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership, no funding rounds, and no parent company; the legal entity is domiciled in Illinois.

Name

The Spice House

Legal name

The Spice House, LLC

Website

https://thespicehouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Spice House is a privately held, 1957-founded US DTC spice retailer selling 400+ premium spices, blends, and chef collaborations via Shopify, three Chicago-area stores, and Costco and Sam's Club distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Spices and Seasonings

NAICS

Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes) (AFAJANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whole Spices (Seeds, Pods, Bark, Roots) (AFAJANAA), Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades) (AFAJANAK), Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF), Flavorings & Extracts (Natural & Artificial) (CRADAOAA)

Keywords

• Specialty spices
• Seasoning blends
• Cooking herbs
• Gourmet salts
• Culinary extracts

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Primary revenue channel through the company's Shopify-powered website. Customers purchase individual spices, blends, extracts, and gift sets with shipping to residential addresses nationwide. Products available in multiple formats: jars, flatpacks, and bulk bags.
2. Retail Distribution: Products sold through major retail chains including Costco (Midwest and Los Angeles locations) and Sam's Club. Retail partnerships expand physical availability and brand visibility.
3. Corporate and Gift Sales: B2B corporate gifting programs offering curated spice gift sets for clients, teams, and professional occasions. Includes wedding gifts, housewarming gifts, and custom gift box builders.
4. Wholesale: Wholesale and bulk spice purchasing program for businesses, restaurants, and retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Spice House is a privately held American spice retailer founded in 1957 that curates, blends, and sells more than 400 specialty spices, herbs, seasonings, blends, and baking extracts direct to consumers, professional chefs, and corporate gift buyers. Its catalog spans 344 spices offered in jars, flatpacks, and bags, including proprietary blends and celebrity-chef co-branded collections (Morimoto, Rodney Scott, Intelligentsia). The company sells through its own e-commerce site, three Illinois retail stores, a corporate/wholesale program, and club-channel partnerships.

Product overview

The Spice House is an online spice retailer offering a curated portfolio of over 400 premium spices, herbs, and seasoning blends. The product lineup centers on individual spices (peppercorns, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, chiles, culinary herbs) and proprietary signature blends (Lakeshore Shallot & Herb, Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper, Great North Maple Garlic). The company differentiates through specialty packaging formats (Flatpacks, Jars, Bags), limited-edition seasonal products (Raspberry Margarita Salt, Yuzu Citrus Set), and chef collaborations (Morimoto Collection with Chef Morimoto, Rodney Scott Collection for BBQ). Additional offerings include curated gift boxes, corporate gifting programs, value bundles, and a Custom Gift Box Builder for personalized gifting. The company ships products nationwide, with retail presence in Chicago-area stores and Costco locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Morimoto Collection: Japanese-inspired seasonings created in collaboration with Chef Morimoto
• The Rodney Scott Collection
• The Intelligentsia Collection

Products and services

• Green Chimichurri Mix A signature green seasoning blend from The Spice House designed for chimichurri-style applications, sold direct to home cooks and chefs as part of the company's proprietary blend catalog.
• Lakeshore Shallot & Herb A proprietary seasoning blend featuring shallot and herbs, part of The Spice House's signature regional-style blends for home cooks and culinary professionals.
• Raspberry Margarita Salt A flavored gourmet salt designed for cocktail rims and specialty culinary uses, part of The Spice House's curated specialty salt line.
• Yuzu Citrus Set A curated citrus-forward product set from The Spice House, offering yuzu-based flavoring for home cooks and chefs.
• Tuscan Harvest A signature Tuscan-inspired seasoning blend from The Spice House, formulated for Mediterranean-style cooking applications.
• Morimoto Collection A co-branded collection of spices and seasonings developed with celebrity chef Morimoto, sold to home cooks and professional chefs as a premium chef-curated line.
• Rodney Scott Collection A co-branded collection of spices and seasonings developed with celebrity chef Rodney Scott, offering barbecue and Southern-inspired flavor profiles to home cooks and chefs.
• Intelligentsia Collection A co-branded coffee-adjacent spice and seasoning collection developed with Intelligentsia, targeting home cooks and chefs who value coffee-paired flavor pairings.
• Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butcher's Rub A signature butcher's rub featuring garlic pepper, designed for grilled and smoked meats, available to home cooks and professional chefs.
• Great North Maple Garlic Seasoning A signature seasoning featuring maple and garlic, part of The Spice House's regional-flavor catalog for home cooks and chefs.
• Gift Boxes Pre-assembled gift boxes of curated spices, herbs, and seasonings from The Spice House, targeted at consumer gift-givers and corporate gifting clients.
• Custom Gift Box Builder An online tool that lets consumer and corporate buyers assemble personalized gift boxes by selecting from The Spice House's 400+ product catalog.
• Value Bundles Multi-product bundles offered at a 5% discount versus individual item pricing, allowing home cooks to buy curated sets of complementary spices and seasonings.
• Baking Extracts A line of baking extracts (e.g., vanilla and related flavors) sold to home bakers as part of The Spice House's broader specialty ingredient catalog.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 five-star customer reviews demonstrating product satisfaction
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Chef Masaharu MorimotocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative product development resulting in The Morimoto Collection featuring Japanese-inspired seasonings. Chef Morimoto, known for seamlessly integrating Western and Japanese ingredients, brought his culinary expertise to create signature spice blends for home cooks.
• Rodney ScottcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with legendary pitmaster and James Beard Award winner Rodney Scott resulting in The Rodney Scott Collection featuring Southern-style spice rubs. Famous for traditional whole-hog barbecue cooked over hardwood coals since age 11.
• Intelligentsia CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Intelligentsia Coffee resulting in The Intelligentsia Collection featuring coffee-infused spice and sugar products. Products include Coffee Cake Sugar and Cocoa Coffee Sugar blends.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider hosting The Spice House's online store. Processes payments, manages inventory, and provides analytics. Privacy policy confirms Shopify's data processing and privacy practices.
• CostcomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partnership making products available in Costco locations across Midwest, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Southwest regions. Exclusive limited edition jars available at select Costco locations.
• Sam's ClubmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partnership featuring products like Golden Herb Salt at Sam's Club locations.
• KosterinaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand featured in curated culinary partners collection. Greek olive oil products including Greek Taverna Set, Dipping Duo Gift Set, and Extra Virgin Duo Gift Set sold through The Spice House.
• Love & LemonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipe content partnership featuring Tuscan-Marinated Olives with Whipped Ricotta recipe on The Spice House blog, promoting Tuscan Harvest spice blend.
• Donaldo CooksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipe content partnership featuring Chimichurri Steak Sandwich recipe on The Spice House blog.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Penzeys Spices: The most direct competitor: a US-based, family-founded premium spice retailer with a similar DTC catalog of spices, herbs, and signature blends. Penzeys is the closest analog in positioning, scale, and channel mix (DTC plus some retail), making it the primary comparable for The Spice House.

Broad incumbents

• Sur La Table: Specialty cooking retailer with a curated spice and gourmet food assortment plus cooking class content. Comparable in targeting premium home cooks and gift buyers with an overlapping product mix.
• Frontier Co-op: Large wholesale and bulk spice, herb, and seasoning supplier serving natural foods retail and B2B buyers. Overlaps with The Spice House's wholesale program and bulk spice category at significantly larger scale.
• Badia Spices: A large US Hispanic-owned spice and seasoning manufacturer with broad grocery distribution. Overlaps with The Spice House on product categories but competes primarily on value and mainstream shelf presence rather than premium positioning.
• Williams Sonoma: Premium kitchen and home retailer carrying spices, blends, and gourmet gifts. Competes for the same premium home-cook and gift-buyer segments and offers overlapping corporate gifting capabilities at much larger scale.
• Whole Foods Market (bulk/spice section): National specialty grocer with an extensive bulk spice and international spice section. Represents a key offline competitor for premium, single-origin, and ethnic spice purchases.
• McCormick & Company: The dominant global spice and seasoning manufacturer with mass-market brands (McCormick, Gourmet). Overlaps with The Spice House's product categories at a much larger scale across grocery, foodservice, and industrial channels.
• Trader Joe's (private-label spice assortment): National specialty grocer whose private-label spice blends and seasonings compete on price and convenience with The Spice House's signature blends, particularly among gift and casual cooking buyers.

Emerging players

• Diaspora Co. A premium single-origin spice brand built around regenerative sourcing and direct grower relationships. Targets the same design-conscious, quality-focused consumer and competes most directly on the premium tier of The Spice House's catalog.
• Burlap & Barrel: A venture-backed DTC spice brand specializing in single-origin, ethically sourced spices. Competes for the same premium, chef-influenced home cook that The Spice House targets, but with a stronger single-origin/sourcing story and smaller catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thespicehouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/thespicehouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/thespicehouse
• Pinterestpinterest.com/thespicehouse
• TikToktiktok.com/@thespicehouse57
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thespicehouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Spice House