Dessert Anyone? Black-Owned Beignet Company Now Available At 200 Walmart Stores
Heidi and Micah Stampley are the latest entrepreneurs to have their product, Orleans Foods Authentic Beignet and Baking Mix, on shelves at 200 Walmart stores following the retailer’s annual “open call” event.
“It’s just exciting to see your dream actually in a bowl,” Heidi told WSB-TV.
Heidi said her husband worked on the beignet recipe for two weeks until the deep-fried pastries came out perfectly. She refers to Micah as an “amazing chef” who knows his way around the kitchen.
The Stampley’s are originally from Louisiana and had their own restaurant in Fayette County, Georgia. However, they shut it down right before the pandemic lockdown, according to WSB-TV.
As the couple searched for another business venture, they decided to mass produce the beignet mix and pitch their idea to Walmart’s annual open call event.
The retail chain created the initiative to allow entrepreneurs nationwide to pitch their ready-made products to Walmart and/or Sam’s Club merchants. According to the website, the retailer has committed to American jobs by investing an additional “$350 billion in products made, grown or assembled in America, supporting [the] creation of over 750,000 U.S. jobs.”
After receiving the golden ticket, the pair’s Orleans Foods Authentic Beignet and Baking Mix is now available at 200 Walmart stores across five Southern states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Heidi recalled the moment she walked down the aisle and spotted her product among other brand-name baking items.
“Is this real? You know, because you’ve been going to Walmart for your life getting Duncan Hines and getting icing, and all of these things are there. And then my product is tucked right there in the middle!” Heidi said, per WSB-TV.
