Spicy Ninja Sauce
Spicy Ninja Sauce, Bringing Agriculture Back to the Island
Sandra Yerges
Christopher Bornstein, owner of Hawaii’s Spicy Ninja Sauce, illustrated that even when the work is tough, there is a way to make strides toward change. As a United States Navy veteran with a life of experience braving the physical elements and sales environment, he has never been one to shy away from a challenge. These instincts are what drove him to establish Spicy Ninja Sauce, a nine-and-a-half-year-old decision that continues to push him past his limits.
While acknowledging the cost-effectiveness of island growing with the reality that Hawaii’s agricultural water supply was being used up, he first set out to find a way to bring farming back to the island. False marketing made it appear as if Hawaii had been booming with local producers, but it became clear through his observations that there was a lack of farmers in the area. With these challenges in mind, Christopher chose to create a product that would revive the local agricultural industry for the better.
Because of its many flavor options and non-perishable nature, hot sauce seemed like the most straightforward product to bring variety and longevity to the fields of the up-and-coming farmers in the area. However, the difficult part of beginning hot sauce production was to find a mix of ingredients that would appeal to a new audience.
The journey to developing Spicy Ninja Sauce’s current bestseller, Spicy Ninja OG: Three Wrongs Make a Right!, initially proved to be a disappointing feat as the three original concoctions were unappealing. Instead of throwing away these sauces, Christopher had the idea to combine them. It was then the once-unappetizing selection of sauces became the fragrant and vibrant blend he wanted from the start. Even though this was a major victory, there was still a problem that lingered.
“Nothing was written down,” Christopher admitted. “It took another month and a half to recreate the whole situation to get that recipe.”
Since then, many new flavors have arisen alongside the Spicy Ninja OG, all with unique names and taste profiles. Sourced from Hawaii’s Kona Coffee & Tea, Kona coffee is an ingredient within Mauna Kea Magma, a hot sauce flavor named after one of the island’s volcanoes. On top of the fifteen products made solely by Spicy Ninja Sauce, there is one collaborative wing sauce and beer chaser mix the farm produces along with Kona Brewing Company.
Although Christopher’s mission has always been to utilize the crops from other farmers in his sauces, he also produces his own selection of ingredients. His primary harvest includes everything from peppers to papayas, which helps add to the beets, carrots, and peppers he currently receives from off-site farms.
Despite taking on a large part of the labor himself, Christopher is not the only individual working for Spicy Ninja Sauce. There is a small team that works alongside him on various tasks, such as farming the ingredients, crafting the sauces, and ensuring the products are sold.
Three years ago, these important staff members received crucial support as Spicy Ninja Sauce was awarded the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG). While providing them with the financial leeway to work more and have additional bottling materials, the grant made a huge difference in the overall productivity of the operation. Outside of the labor-related benefits of the grant, the funds also elevated the business’ online presence to add to its existing farmers market and wholesale sales outlets.
From a business owner’s perspective, Christopher explained that this grant was “one of the main things that allowed us to become a profitable company.” With grant writing costs offset by The Kohala Center and the relaxed application stipulations because of the pandemic, it was a seamless process of applying for and receiving this first sum of money.
Even though the grant ended on a positive note, there was one lesson Christopher learned that would have impacted how he structured his original grant. Because each awarded grant must correlate to a unique aspect of the brand, he realized that his product-generalized application discounted any future possibility of receiving another hot sauce VAPG. Nonetheless, this did not deter him from applying for another VAPG in 2024 for a few new products in the Spicy Ninja brand.
These two upcoming items are honey and salts, both of which were strategically chosen as five-letter words to match “spicy” and “ninja.” Even without knowing if he received the funds to support these items yet, Christopher has found talented individuals through the grant application process to help him in this upcoming launch.
“It literally pulled together the team that I’m so stoked to have today,” he emphasized.
Spicy Ninja Sauce’s original VAPG writer Laura M. Mirafuentes and Chris Sandy are the two members of this team who made the company’s second application possible. The process looked much different than the first as the reinstated post-COVID requirements made it more complex. Christopher mentioned that compiling the many pages of paperwork was no easy feat, but it also provided the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with an important sense of which farmers truly desired to have the funds.
Throughout this second VAPG experience, the USDA became an impactful resource to Christopher. He fondly recalled his in-person encounter with three agricultural representatives who traveled to his operation. After they informed him about the best way to approach this new grant, he felt the depth of concern the USDA has for small and often overlooked farmers like him.
Throughout his entrepreneurial career, Christopher has fully embodied the core of the Spicy Ninja brand: bringing his perspective of true Hawaiian grit to others. Every brand-building activity he accomplishes keeps the flame of his creativity alive, allowing him to live up to his nickname and brand name inspiration, “Ninja Chris.”
