PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Yoshida Foods International today announced the relaunch of their iconic teriyaki sauce, Mr. Yoshida’s Original Gourmet Sweet Teriyaki Marinade & Cooking Sauce. Available now at select grocery and mass retailers in the U.S. including Amazon and Costco, Mr. Yoshida’s Sweet Teriyaki Marinade & Cooking Sauce is a versatile, ready-to-use sauce with a classic sweet teriyaki taste and bold flavor.
Mr. Yoshida’s Original Gourmet Sauce is back in the hands of its founder after being acquired by the Heinz Company in April 2000. The acquisition led to a drastic decline in the brand’s retail presence and marketing efforts throughout North America, leaving Mr. Yoshida’s all but forgotten while it continued to thrive in Japan and Asia-Pacific markets. Roughly twenty-four years later, Junki Yoshida, Founder and CEO of Yoshida Foods International negotiated a purchase of the brand back from Heinz Company with plans to breathe new life into the brand and bring it back to its leading status. While the sauce in the bottle will be the teriyaki consumers know and love, Yoshida Foods has completely revamped its business model to focus on local suppliers and partners and a modernized approach to its signature quirky marketing strategy.
“I am living proof that the American dream is possible. I started making this sauce in my basement in 1982, and here I am, 74 years old and starting my business all over,” said Junki Yoshida, Founder and CEO of the Yoshida Group. “This brand is my baby, and I am bringing it back to continue its legacy for the next generation.”
Yoshida, a Japanese-American entrepreneur had a head full of dreams when he left his family’s home in Kyoto Japan, and arrived in Seattle at 19. Experiencing many financial trials and tribulations, Mr. Yoshida persevered with determination and transformed an old family recipe for teriyaki sauce into the multi-million-dollar brand it is today. Mr. Yoshida’s Original Sauce is currently selling thousands of bottles a week and shipping to seven countries including Japan, the UK, Sweden, Taiwan, Australia, Korea, and Iceland.
“We are thrilled to see our Gourmet sauce back on shelves and in the hands of those who enjoy it most,” said Yoshida. “Our customers have been eagerly waiting for a return, so we are excited to finally be able to deliver. At one point we were getting 300 emails a day asking us to bring the product back, so this is a big moment for us and our loyal fans and partners.”
Founded in 1982, Mr. Yoshida’s Original sauce is a go-to for beef, pork, chicken, fish, or mixed vegetables. Mr. Yoshida’s Sweet Teriyaki Marinade & Cooking Sauce is available today at select grocery stores in the U.S. and mass retailers including Costco and Amazon .
About Yoshida Foods International
Yoshida Foods International was founded in 1982 by Junki Yoshida who transformed an old family recipe for teriyaki sauce into a versatile, ready-to-use sauce with a classic sweet teriyaki taste and bold flavor, Mr. Yoshida’s Original Gourmet. The sauce is distributed internationally to seven countries and is currently available at select grocery stores along the West Coast and mass retailers in the U.S. including Amazon and Costco. Yoshida Foods is based out of Portland, Oregon, and currently has 50 employees.
SOURCE Yoshida Foods International, LLC
