In 1984 Michele began to manufacture her specialty breakfast syrups and Michele Foods was born. That same year, Michele secured the top two largest retail chains in the Chicagoland area, which took her out of the basement and into 400 retail chains. She went on to become the 1st minority supplier for Denny’s, the 1st minority supplier for Wal-Mart and over the years she has partnered with some of the most respected food companies in the world - General Mills and Sara Lee. It was Michele’s determination to leave a legacy for her daughters instead of just a recipe that was the inspiration for Michele Foods. Michele laughs when she recalls her early struggles and countless mistakes. She overcame incredible odds to turn this family secret into a formula for success. “There were no mentors for an African American female entrepreneur in the food industry in those days. I had to learn from my mistakes. Had I not been naïve, I may not have started this journey. All I had going for me was my goal and a commitment to making it work.”

Today Michele’s Foods products can be found in the top retail chains, more than 8,000 stores nationwide, including Kroger, Albertson’s, Jewel Foods, Publix, Safeway and the like. The recipe that started it all is known as Michele’s Honey Crème Syrup, a rich, creamy confection made with honey, cream and butter. Now, in addition to the original Honey Crème, there’s Michele’s Butter Pecan and Maple Crème Syrups. These days the syrups are more than just for waffles and pancakes, they are used by cooks as condiments and in sweet and savory dishes. This family tradition for over 4 generations is simply “good over everything”!

Today, 29 years later, Michele Foods Inc., anchored by the Honey Creme Syrup and also Butter Pecan Syrup and Maple Creme Syrup, is a multimillion-dollar business whose products are sold in more than 10,000 stores nationwide. She has told her story to Oprah. She has also launched Michele’s Mentoring Program, through which she has helped more than 150 entrepreneurs launch products.

“I know now that the three initial ingredients my great-great-grandmother gave me weren’t just for syrup,” says Hoskins. “They weren’t just to be a successful money-making machine, either. They were really so I can learn, grow, and pass it along.”

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For more information about Butter Pecan Syrup please visit our website www.michelefoods.com