Branding Yourself: Celebrity Chef Is Dressing for Success

“It started with one simple idea,” celebrity chef Sharone Hakman told Modern Restaurant Management. The “it” he is referring to is Haks, a line of barbecue and cooking sauces he launched five years ago. The “simple idea,” he noted, was to “make good BBQ. From there it has evolved into something much greater.”

The season one MasterChef finalist most recently appeared on “Kocktails with Khloe,” bringing his expertise in small plates and specialty cocktails to the primetime talk show.  Hakman’s challenges on MasterChef included feeding barbecue sauce smothered steak to hungry marines and barbecue burgers at a truck stop and led directly to forming a venture to market his creation.

To grow the brand, Hak’s just launched a line of all-natural salad dressings featuring eight varieties: Balsamic, Country Italian, Honey Dijon, Greek, Miso, Olive Oil & Lemon, Sesame Ginger, and Spicy Thai. Packaged in pouches with six single-use packets under 100 calories, the…