Our Story
How…one day, after a few Miller High Lifes (hey it’s the Champagne of beers) it was decided that the secret original recipe of Heffys BBQ Sauce would be “stolen” (we prefer borrowed by force) from the Ratzloff family and brought to the public. From the time Heffy aka Jeff Ratzloff started making sauce at his parent’s restaurant in “small town” Kansas God knew he would be a sauce master! However, it wasn’t until he met Mike Farag and Jason Drumright that the real magic happened, we say magic with the smallest amount of sarcasm possible. Really.
Why…because Great BBQ sauce, made with love, labeled with care that puts a smile on the face of all those who enjoy it really is something this world needs more of. What’s more we wanted to be a group of guys and a company that does business well, that stands for what’s right, that gives back, that never cuts corners in how we operate and how we make our products.
Plus we were tired of hearing all about KC Masterpiece, which is no longer made in KC getting all the glory. By the way, Heffys is proudly made in Kansas City and lovingly hand labeled by Special Olympic athletes.
Who…our founders are 3 diverse and interesting guys. Each of them brings something to the table, we’re still not sure what it is but it’s something.
Mike Farag, CEO tw- @mikefarag01 Mike used to climb corporate ladders for lunch, working for tech companies like Sprint & Cox Communications selling and marketing all sorts of wireless, cable or software stuff. Until he gave it up after a trip to Haiti to start helping non profit groups tell their stories all over the world (in between cycling and making some killer BBQ sauce). In addition to being our CEO, Mike is also the founding member of the Marketing Innovation firm Fervor.
Mike’s favorite things: wakeboarding, cycling, traveling, trying to cure his insatiable appetite for no-bake cookies.
Jason Drumright, CMO tw- @drumrigj Jason spends his days ensuring the backend financial transactions of millions of Americans’ are handled with care as a Software Developer in one of the nations premier financial service providers (yeah he is one of those smart computer guys!). When he isn’t making sure that your check makes it to the bank, he is making sure you have enough dough to buy lots of Heffys by taking good care of our website and lots of other markety things. On the weekends, whether it is 10 degrees or 100, you can almost always find his house by following the billowing smoke signals coming from his smoker, filling the neighborhood with wonderful smells and making him a favorite neighbor around the block. When he’s not outside by the smoker with his trusty smoking companion (his German Shepherd, Moxie), he’s inside spending quality time with his wife or his iPhone. But these days he is making sure that his first born little guy, Kash is getting all the attention he deserves and learns early the secret Heffys recipe.
Jason’s favorite things: gadgets, eating smoked meat, not trying to cure his insatiable appetite for no-bake cookies.
Jeff Ratzloff, COO When Jeff isn’t working on BBQ, he is usually cooking and eating something involving BBQ. His wife and kids never get tired of it, in fact he is always tinkering around the kitchen. He loves spending time with his family on the one of their many 4 wheelers, camping or even just working in the yard.
Jeff is known in our little group as being consistently inappropriate. Most of the time he just says whatever is on his mind…so don’t get offended, it’s (mostly) in fun. He is also swayed into doing things others will not do. He currently holds the record for the most oreos in his mouth at one time, the most peanuts, and the most wasabi peas.