The Spice Guy

What The Spice Guy does

The Spice Guy is a privately held, Denver-headquartered spice company founded in 2013 by Zach Johnston, operating a vertically integrated model that spans direct-to-consumer e-commerce, physical retail, wholesale distribution, and B2B co-packing and private label manufacturing. The company sells small-batch, ethically sourced, GMO-free spice blends, whole spices, raw ingredients, dips and sauces seasonings, and themed gift boxes (Commander In MisChief, Grill Master Box, Colorado Box, Muy Bien Box, etc.) priced from approximately $4 to $40, through a Shopify storefront at thespiceguyco.com and a retail shop inside Edgewater Public Market in Colorado. Its underlying capability is hand-crafted spice formulation with a portfolio of 200+ proprietary blends, supported by FDA-approved manufacturing facilities in Denver, CO and Toledo, OH that handle production from 5 lb batches to truckload volumes.

The business serves three primary customer segments: individual home cooks and food enthusiasts purchasing DTC, professional restaurants and food service operators buying wholesale, and CPG brands, emerging labels, and social media influencers using the co-packing and private label services. Revenue mechanics are diversified across unit-priced consumer products, volume-tiered B2B co-packing pricing (from $4.26/unit at 500 units down to $2.01/unit at 50,000+ units), $150/hour Recipe R&D services, a $250 co-packing onboarding fee, and wholesale bulk spice sales. The company claims to manufacture the #1 selling spice product on Amazon and serves 1,000+ restaurants and food manufacturers nationwide, including Michelin-starred establishments and Frank Bonanno's restaurant portfolio. The company is founder-led with no disclosed external funding, growing organically from a one-bedroom apartment into a multi-facility operation over more than a decade.

Name

The Spice Guy

Legal name

The Spice Guy

Website

https://thespiceguyco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Spice Guy, founded in 2013 in Denver, CO, sells small-batch, ethically sourced spice blends and gift boxes via DTC e-commerce, a physical retail shop, and wholesale to 1,000+ restaurants, while operating an FDA-approved co-packing and private label manufacturing division for brands and influencers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Spices and Seasonings

NAICS

Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO), Dips, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys Manufacturing (AFAKADAM)

Keywords

• Spice blends
• Co-packing services
• Private label spices
• Wholesale seasonings
• Specialty foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales of spices, spice blends, and gift boxes through their e-commerce storefront. Customers purchase individual products or curated gift boxes with prices ranging from $4 to $40+.
2. Co-Packing & Private Label Manufacturing: B2B manufacturing service where The Spice Guy produces custom spice blends for other brands. They offer custom blending, bottling, labeling, and packaging services with minimum order quantities starting at 504 units per SKU for co-packing and 100 units for private labeling.
3. Wholesale to Restaurants: Bulk spice and custom blend sales to restaurants and food service businesses. Ships quantities from 1 lb to pallet loads from Denver headquarters or Toledo, OH facility.
4. Recipe R&D Services: Custom flavor development and recipe R&D charged at $150/hour. Most blends take approximately 2-3 hours to develop and dial in.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Spice Guy manufactures and sells small-batch, hand-crafted spice blends, whole spices, raw ingredients, dips & sauces seasonings, and curated gift boxes via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and a physical retail location in Edgewater, Colorado. The company also operates a co-packing and private label division producing custom blends for brands and influencers, and a wholesale division supplying bulk spices to restaurants and food manufacturers from facilities in Denver, CO and Toledo, OH.

Product overview

The Spice Guy is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce spice company founded in 2013, operating primarily as a Shopify-hosted online store with a physical retail location in Edgewater, Colorado. The product portfolio centers on 170+ small-batch, hand-crafted spice blends organized across multiple collections: 69 spice blends (including best-sellers like Midnight Toker and Roasted Garlic Blend), whole spices, raw ingredients, dips & sauces seasonings, and gift boxes (Commander In MisChief, Grill Master Box, Colorado Box, Thyme Traveler's Toolkit, Muy Bien Box). The company differentiates through ethically sourced, GMO-free ingredients with no fillers or artificial additives. Beyond retail, the business operates two integrated service divisions: (1) Co-Packing & Private Label Services with an FDA-approved facility handling custom blending from 5 lbs to truckload quantities for 1,000+ restaurant and brand clients, and (2) Wholesale Bulk Spice supply to restaurants and food manufacturers from Denver and Toledo facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commander In MisChief Gift Box Patriotic gift box featuring four best-selling blends (Sweet Heat, Roasted Garlic Blend, Colorado Chicken & Veg, Summit Steak & Veg), designed for backyard grilling and BBQ enthusiasts, priced at $40.
• The Grill Master Box Outdoor grilling gift set with four bold blends (Perfect Burger, Citrus Pucker Pepper, Frisco Rib Rub, Voodoo Cajun) for transforming burgers, ribs, seafood, and veggies, priced at $40.
• The Colorado Box Rocky Mountain-themed gift box showcasing Colorado-inspired blends (Midnight Toker, Breckenridge Brisket, Garden of the Gods, Roasted Red Rocks) for grilling and outdoor cooking, priced at $40.
• Thyme Traveler's Toolkit Gift box featuring herb-forward blends for travelers and home cooks seeking Mediterranean and European-inspired flavors, priced at $40.
• Red, White & BBQ Gift Box Patriotic BBQ-themed gift box with American-style barbecue spice blends, priced at $40.
• Muy Bien Box Latin-inspired gift box featuring blends crafted for Mexican and Central American cuisines, priced at $40.
• Midnight Toker Hatch chile-based smoky, spicy blend with smoked paprika and brown sugar; the company's most popular best-seller, featured in Food & Wine, priced at $11.
• Roasted Garlic Blend Bold, savory blend bursting with garlic and peppers, suitable for garlic butter shrimp, roasted chicken, and mashed potatoes.
• Perfect Burger Savory, garlicky, slightly sweet burger seasoning engineered for the juiciest, crustiest burger patties, priced at $10.
• Sweet Heat Balanced blend of sugar, cayenne, and spices for grilled ribs, wings, candied bacon, and roasted vegetables, priced at $9.50.
• Spice Blends Collection Portfolio of approximately 69 hand-crafted, small-batch spice blends organized by regional cuisines (Latin, Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, American BBQ, Modern American, African, Exotic), flavor profiles (smokey, savory, spicy, sweet, salty, herby, sour), and meat-specific pairings (beef, poultry, pork, lamb, seafood).
• Whole Spices Pure, whole spices delivered for maximum aroma and fresher taste, including black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, and various chilies.
• Raw Ingredients Individual spice ingredients and powders such as garlic powder, Hatch green chile, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, Korean red chili (Gochugaru), and specialty items including vegan bacon powder.
• Dips & Sauces Seasonings Seasoning blends designed for dips, sauces, and condiment preparations including Italian seasoning, garlic ranch mix, honey Thai Bangkok, and harissa.
• Co-Packing & Private Label Services Full-service co-packing and private labeling division with FDA-approved facility; handles custom blending (5 lbs to truckload), sourcing, packaging, labeling, and production for brands, influencers, and restaurants. Minimum 504 units per SKU, with R&D at $150/hr and $250 get-started fee.
• Wholesale Bulk Spices Wholesale supply of raw spices, herbs, and custom blends to restaurants and food manufacturers; ships from Denver, CO headquarters and Great Lakes facility in Toledo, OH in quantities from 1 lb to pallet loads.
• Recipe R&D Services Custom recipe development service helping brands create products from scratch, improve existing formulations, or reverse-engineer famous flavors; charged at $150/hr, typically taking 2-3 hours per blend.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ restaurant customers and food manufacturers served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gold Spark Design (Amy)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign partner specializing in food labels. Amy at Gold Spark Design is familiar with The Spice Guy's bottles, the printing process, and FDA standards. Recommended for customers needing label design services for private label products.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Badia Spices: Major US spice and seasoning brand with broad portfolio across retail and foodservice; comparable as a large incumbent seeking the same shelf and wholesale relationships The Spice Guy targets.
• Simply Organic: Organic spice and seasoning brand sold through grocery and natural channels; overlaps with The Spice Guy on the ethically-sourced, GMO-free narrative, though at mass-retail scale.
• McCormick & Company: Largest US spice manufacturer with broad retail and foodservice distribution; competes on volume, scale, and shelf placement rather than small-batch positioning but occupies the same end market.

Direct peers

• Diaspora Co. Direct-to-consumer single-origin spice brand emphasizing ethical sourcing and traceability; competes head-to-head with The Spice Guy's premium whole-spice and blend offerings.
• Spice Hunter: Curation-focused spice brand offering proprietary blends to retail and foodservice channels; comparable scale and product breadth to The Spice Guy's blend portfolio.
• Burlap & Barrel: Ethically sourced, single-origin spice brand selling direct-to-consumer; overlaps with The Spice Guy on GMO-free, farmer-direct sourcing narrative and small-batch premium positioning.
• Savory Spice Shop: Operates small-batch spice retail stores and e-commerce selling proprietary spice blends and private-label manufacturing, directly matching The Spice Guy's DTC-plus-co-packing model across multiple US locations.
• Penzeys Spices: Long-standing direct-to-consumer premium spice retailer with extensive proprietary blend lineup and catalog-driven online sales, comparable to The Spice Guy's DTC small-batch positioning.

Emerging players

• Raw Spice Bar: Subscription DTC spice company with curated blends for home cooks; addresses a similar consumer segment to The Spice Guy's home-cook gift box and blend lines.
• Flavor Trade: Small-batch spice blend maker offering co-packing and private-label services to emerging brands; highly comparable on co-packing capabilities, low minimums, and B2B service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thespiceguyco
• Facebookfacebook.com/thespiceguyco
• Instagraminstagram.com/thespiceguyco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-spice-guy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Guy