El Venado Foods
El Venado Foods is a Houston-based, family-owned food CPG company founded in 2004 that sells Latin-inspired spices, seasonings, snacks, and the Doña Chela michelada mix to home cooks and wholesale buyers across Texas and surrounding states via e-commerce, Amazon, and brick-and-mortar retail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What El Venado Foods does
El Venado Foods is a privately held, family-owned food products company founded in 2004 and headquartered at 3919 Eastex Freeway in Houston, Texas. The company sells Latin-inspired spices, herbs, peppers, dried chilies, snacks, and signature handcrafted seasoning blends — including its flagship Red Fajita Seasoning, Fire Chicken Seasoning, Steak Seasoning, and Lemon Herb & Butter Seasoning — alongside a sub-brand called Doña Chela, which offers a craft michelada mix. Production and packaging are handled in-house, with products offered either in retail packaging for individual consumers or sold by the pound for wholesale buyers. There is no proprietary software or technology platform; the core competency is recipe formulation, spice blending, and packaging rather than a software/AI stack.
The business operates a multi-channel distribution model spanning direct e-commerce through elvenadofoods.com, an Amazon Store, retail placement at La Michoacana Meat Market locations (for Doña Chela), and wholesale distribution to retail stores across Texas and surrounding states. Marketing is content-driven, anchored by a recipe blog and product-in-use video demonstrations designed to drive top-of-funnel consumer engagement. The company is independently owned with no external funding rounds or institutional investors identified.
The customer base is segmented horizontally into home cooks preparing Latin-inspired meals (primary) and wholesale buyers purchasing bulk quantities for resale or food service. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; wholesale pricing is available on a by-the-pound basis while retail consumers purchase packaged products through e-commerce and Amazon. Revenue figures are not disclosed, and headcount sits in the 11–50 range, consistent with a small, regionally focused CPG operation.
El Venado Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- El Venado Foods
- Legal name
- El Venado Foods
- Website
- https://elvenadofoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- El Venado Foods is a Houston-based, family-owned food CPG company founded in 2004 that sells Latin-inspired spices, seasonings, snacks, and the Doña Chela michelada mix to home cooks and wholesale buyers across Texas and surrounding states via e-commerce, Amazon, and brick-and-mortar retail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
El Venado Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seasonings and Spices
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)
Keywords
Where El Venado Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
El Venado Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Seasonings and Spices Sales: Sale of packaged and bulk seasonings, spices, dried chilies, and snacks to retail consumers and wholesale buyers. Products are available by the pound for wholesale and in retail packaging.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
El Venado Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
El Venado Foods manufactures and sells handcrafted Latin-inspired seasonings, spices, dried chilies, and snacks such as its flagship Red Fajita Seasoning, Fire Chicken Seasoning, Steak Seasoning, and Lemon Herb & Butter Seasoning. The company also markets a craft michelada mix under the Doña Chela sub-brand. Products are sold in retail packaging to individual consumers and in bulk by the pound to wholesale buyers across Texas and surrounding areas.
Product overview
El Venado Foods is a family-owned food products company offering a portfolio of seasoning blends, spices, herbs, snacks, dried chilies, and beverages. The core product line centers on signature seasoning blends including Red Fajita Seasoning (the flagship and most popular product), Fire Chicken Seasoning, Steak Seasoning, and Lemon Herb & Butter Seasoning. The company also operates a sub-brand called Doña Chela featuring Craft Michelada Mix. Products are available for retail purchase in stores throughout Texas and surrounding areas, as well as wholesale and Amazon. The company was founded in 2004 in Houston, TX and emphasizes authentic Latin flavor rooted in family tradition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Doña Chela: A craft michelada mix brand offering bold, authentic flavor. Available at La Michoacana Meat Market. The product is described as handcrafted using quality ingredients with a perfect balance of spice, acidity, and bold flavor.
Products and services
- Red Fajita Seasoning The company's flagship and most popular seasoning blend, a smooth blend of savory spices with a rich, well-balanced taste designed for making fajitas or enhancing any dish with extra flavor.
- Fire Chicken Seasoning Seasoning blend that produces juicy chicken with a smoky, crispy finish on the outside; suited for tacos, cookouts, and bold-flavor preparations.
- Steak Seasoning Seasoning featuring coarse salt and cracked chili that creates a crust on grilled steak; ideal for tacos and grilled meats.
- Lemon Herb & Butter Seasoning Seasoning blend designed for grilled fish and vegetables, providing a light, citrusy flavor with herb and butter notes.
- Doña Chela Craft Michelada Mix Handcrafted michelada mix made from scratch with quality ingredients and a balance of spice and acidity; combined with beer to make a michelada.
Companies that use El Venado Foods
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
El Venado Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
El Venado Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
El Venado Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Goya Foods: Largest Hispanic-owned food company in the US offering a vast portfolio of Latin ingredients, including spices, seasonings, and peppers. Overlaps with El Venado on authentic Latin pantry staples.
- Cholula Hot Sauce: Mexican-style hot sauce brand owned by a major FMCG parent, selling premium Mexican condiment products across US retail and foodservice; comparable as a Hispanic-flavor CPG brand with national distribution and category adjacency to El Venado's seasonings.
- McCormick & Company: Global leader in spices, seasonings, and flavor solutions operating a massive portfolio of branded and private-label products, including Hispanic-leaning offerings, competing broadly with El Venado in shelf space and foodservice accounts.
- Lawry's: Established seasoning brand specializing in marinades, rubs, and signature spice blends sold through grocery, comparable in product category (seasoning blends) and retail distribution but operating at a much larger scale.
Emerging players
- Tapatío Hot Sauce: Hispanic-flavor brand with strong consumer recognition selling hot sauce and adjacent Latin condiment products via retail; comparable as a brand-led Latin flavor CPG player targeting Hispanic and broader foodie consumers.
Direct peers
- The Spice Hunter: Specialty spice and herb brand selling premium blends and single-origin seasonings direct to consumer and via retail, comparable in craft-seasoning product mix and DTC emphasis.
- Tajín: Iconic Mexican chile-lime seasoning brand sold in retail and foodservice channels, comparable as a Latin-flavor spice brand with mass consumer pull and broad category extension (sauces, snacks).
- Badia Spices: Family-owned Hispanic and ethnic seasoning brand offering a broad portfolio of spice blends, herbs, and seasonings comparable in positioning and customer base to El Venado's authentic Latin seasoning range.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
El Venado Foods social profiles
Digital presenceEl Venado Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
El Venado Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
El Venado Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
El Venado Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about El Venado Foods
What does El Venado Foods do?
El Venado Foods manufactures and sells handcrafted Latin-inspired seasonings, spices, dried chilies, and snacks such as its flagship Red Fajita Seasoning, Fire Chicken Seasoning, Steak Seasoning, and Lemon Herb & Butter Seasoning. The company also markets a craft michelada mix under the Doña Chela sub-brand. Products are sold in retail packaging to individual consumers and in bulk by the pound to wholesale buyers across Texas and surrounding areas.
Is El Venado Foods a public or private company?
El Venado Foods is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was El Venado Foods founded?
El Venado Foods was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is El Venado Foods based?
El Venado Foods is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does El Venado Foods make money?
One revenue line is on record: seasonings and Spices Sales.
Who are El Venado Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Goya Foods, Cholula Hot Sauce, McCormick & Company and Lawry's. Tapatío Hot Sauce is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are The Spice Hunter, Tajín and Badia Spices.
Does El Venado Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for El Venado Foods.
What industry is El Venado Foods in?
El Venado Foods's product category is Seasonings and Spices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAIAF, Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2090.