About The Owner

All of my life has been around food. Growing up in Brownsville, Texas as a second-generation Mexican-American, I learned about cooking from my Grandpa on my Mother’s side who was a fisherman, and my Grandma on my Father’s side who raised 9 children. My Grandfather taught me about patience, dedication, the art of fishing and cooking one’s catch, and how to humanely slaughter and then butcher livestock. My Grandmother taught me how to take pride in preparing homestyle meals with love and was always ready to whip something up whenever the family visited. These concepts of family are what I bring to the world through Willy’s World Famous. 

My career in food started during college bussing tables and I quickly worked my way to the kitchen as a waiter, expediter, and eventually Sous Chef. My specialty as a Sous Chef was making the sauces at a Spanish Tapas bar in Austin, TX known as "Malaga". One day, some friends and I were planning a 4th of July cookout and we didn't have a wing sauce to go with our chicken. I put together a concoction that was an instant hit at the party so I continued perfecting this mixture over the years for almost every cookout thereafter. Finally, when a good friend said, "You should bottle this and sell it!", the light bulb switched on and the inspiration for Willy's World Famous was seeded. I spent several weeks learning how to make copycat sauces from the original mixture I initially created because I wanted to make a flavor that was my own; more than fifty batches later - they evolved into my first unique flavor, Texas OG. But I didn't stop there. I wanted to create more sauces that had a life of their own, for each one to have its distinct personality, yet still, be related - like a family. 

I had the idea to model my flavors after what a cast of anime characters would be like, and it was like a novel that writes itself. Thus, Angry OG, Vampire Eater, TX Viet, and La Verde were born to make a full lineup affectionately known as “The Flavorous Five”. Each of these sauces contains robust flavors as big as Texas with a “heat that grows the more you eat” to satisfy the seasoned spice eater but with a starting heat level that makes a newcomer feel accomplished. My hot sauces don’t end meals, they enhance them. They were designed this way to bring family and friends closer together around a meal that will spark conversations that turn those moments into an unforgettable experience, just like those cookouts with my dearest friends. Willy’s World Famous is on a mission to facilitate moments that build friendship and community.

I called it Willy's World Famous for two reasons.

1. My family growing up always called me Willy. That's my family nickname and I want everyone who interacts with my company to be treated like family. 

2. Every dad has their world famous something. Mine made "world famous" spaghetti which you can find the recipe for on this site. I wanted to further enhance the family feeling with a vibe that is playful and full of love, from my home to yours.

Thank you for visiting my website and checking out my story. I hope you enjoy the flavors and share them with all of your closest loved ones. 

- At Your Service, Will Jaramillo