SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — From their Clearwater kitchen to a major league baseball stadium, it’s been a remarkable three years for a local Pinellas County family-owned hot sauce business.
Carlos’ Consuming Fire Hot Sauce first started being sold at Tampa Bay farmers markets in 2021.
“I never imagined it would go from something for just my enjoyment, handing it out to friends and family, to now becoming what it is,” said owner Carlos Sanchez.
By 2022, Carlos’ Consuming Fire Hot Sauce was the official hot sauce of the Clearwater Thrashers, the Philadelphia Phillies Single A affiliate. It didn’t take long before they were called up to the majors. They are now the only hot sauce offered by the Philadelphia Phillies.
“So it’s known as the City of Brotherly Love, and let me tell you, what I saw, there was excitement,” said Sanchez. “To watch the fans enjoy the sauce, the …