Long after her father's restaurants closed, Allison Collins is keeping his recipe for Mumbo Sauce alive by mass producing it and selling it in several states.
The flavor was popular then and remains popular now even though Collins and his restaurants are gone. The product became a legacy passed on to daughter Allison, who is the CEO of Select Brands, the manufacturer.
"At the time when he came up with this concoction he didn't really have a mind to put it on the market or sell it to the masses...he just thought I want a signature sauce for my restaurant," said Allison Collins, Select Brands CEO.
Manufactured in Melrose Park, the sauce is now distributed through 600 stores in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin.
"If you're grilling on your barbecue warm it up...you brush it over your meat and you have a delicious tasting sauce so in that regard I think he was a pioneer there was no body doing anything like that at the time...and so it was Chicago's original homestyle barbecue sauce," said Collins.
Each year some 6,000 cases of mumbo sauce are shipped off to the many stores that sell the product.
"I think that my dad's legacy is...you know, Mumbo Sauce is a vehicle and its a way to give back...people loved his product at the same time. Through that, he was able to give back to the community," said Collins.
To learn more about Mumbo Sauce log on to www.mumbobbqsauce.com
