  
In 1940, with the Depression still a vivid memory, George Renfro took a big risk for a man with a family. He quit his job selling restaurant supplies and condiments. And with little more than sheer determination and the support of his family, George and his wife, Arthurine, co-founded George Renfro Food Company in the garage of their north Fort Worth home. In their new venture, they distributed packaged spices and pepper sauces throughout Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.
Through the tireless efforts of George, his family and a small sales staff that literally sold goods from the back of a truck, the company's Dixieland Syrups soon had wide distribution throughout Texas grocery stores. Virtually every Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant purchased the syrup from George Renfro Food Company, approximately 85% of the restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
At the time, few Southerners could imagine eating beans or peas without homemade chow chow, especially during the cold winter months. Realizing they had one of the few commercially made, yet homemade-tasting chow chows available, the Renfros capitalized on public demand and created the popular Dixieland Chow Chow.
Response to the blend of cabbage, bell peppers, sugar, spices and vinegar was so tremendous that, by 1960, George Renfro Food Company had become a one-product business focusing exclusively on Dixieland Chow Chow.
With George's death in 1975, Arthurine and the children, Bill and Jack, were left to lead the company into its greatest growth period yet. The country's love of hot and spicy foods was escalating, and with this, so was the rise in demand for Mrs. Renfro's products. The product line soon expanded from the original hot or mild sauces to a variety of picantes and medium-style sauces.
Demand for Mrs. Renfro's Mexican-style products and its old-time favorites continued to soar in the decades ahead. In 1988, to manage the brand's growing popularity, Renfro Foods again doubled its facilities and production capacity. Then, in 1995, after determining that consumers' tastes were becoming more sophisticated and somewhat adventurous, the company introduced two gourmet salsas - black bean and habanero.
Today, with grandchildren Doug, Becky and James also active in the day-to-day operations, Renfro Foods, and its Mrs. Renfro's label, continue to grow at a fast pace. Mrs. Renfro's products, which now include a variety of 26 salsas, sauces and relishes, are available at supermarkets, gourmet and gift shops and fruit and vegetable stands in 50 U.S. states, Canada, Denmark, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
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