Local BBQ sauce business is heating up
Jim Barbour, co-founder of FunniBonz Barbeque Sauce, is so excited about his newfound success, he can taste it

Wed, Feb 4, 2009
By R. Kurt Osenlund, BucksLocalNews.com correspondent

Jim Barbour is a live wire. As he pitches his zesty new product to curious customers at a tasting booth in the back of Pennington Quality Market (PQM), the West Windsor native is so animated, one feels the need to circle around him just to make sure he's taking up three dimensions. So it comes as no surprise when, later, seated near the adjacent coffee vendor, the face of the fast-growing, local condiment company FunniBonz Barbeque Sauce reveals that he started out in the dramatic arts.

"All of the things I've done have led to who I am and what I'm doing today," says Barbour, who wears a perpetual smile but is dead serious about his business. "Everything put together is the perfect fit for what I'm doing right now."

What he's doing is making bank on an idea that was born around a grill last summer and has since begun to take off like a rocket. FunniBonz, a tasty and versatile everything dressing that's unique in texture and flavor, has recently been flying off the shelves of PQM, selling at least 20 cases in each of the only three weekends it's been available. The concept of the sauce was devised by Barbour and longtime friend/co-CEO, Ryan Marrone, but, as Barbour tells it, the roots go a lot deeper.

"I've always had a love of culinary arts," he says. "I just needed to find where I wanted to be. I didn't want to own a restaurant and I didn't want to be a chef. With this business, I finally feel at home."

And it did take him a while. After graduating from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School (which he attended with Marrone), Barbour went on to study drama at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro. He had a brief stint at NYU, returned to the UNC campus, and earned his degree in drama and speech. From there, he played many impressive parts, but none of them were on the stage. He worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street, a marketing rep. for Sony, a pharmaceutical sales rep., and an account manager for an "electronic discovery company." Then he and Marrone met for a barbecue.

"We were trying to make perfect ribs and kept experimenting with different sauces," Barbour says before throwing out a handful of brand names. "We just couldn't find the taste that we wanted. So, we decided to make our own sauce."

And just like that, FunniBonz - Barbour says the name is a playful joke that stuck - was born. The company was officially formed in June 2008 and by October, Barbour was making his first shipment. He started out making the sauce in his mother, Jo's, kitchen and now out-sources the manufacturing through a company in Lancaster, PA. In addition to PQM, his product is sold in stores in New York and should soon be spreading to places like Wegman's in Warrington, PA and Whole Foods in Princeton. Shortly after inception, his new venture began to take up so much of his time, he was forced to quit his account manager job - and he hasn't looked back.

"It started taking off and I just couldn't do both," Barbour says. "I just started to follow my dream and it's paying off. People said it's crazy to do something like this right now but I say there's no better time. It's time to take risks - and I want to create my own future. This has been burning inside me for years and this is finally the right time to do it."

So, what's all the fuss about? When Barbour describes FunniBonz (which is currently available in original and spicy varieties), he sounds like he's composing a symphony, using words like "notes" and "crescendo." He says he "knew the background of barbecue sauce," and then gets artful again, saying the creation of his own is like "culinary painting." He explains that what sets his product apart is its non-vinegar base, its ability to maintain its velvety consistency even under intense heat, and, most importantly, its endless uses. Apparently, FunniBonz goes great with everything from chicken to steak to vegetables. On the company's website, there's even a guide that offers a different option for every day of the year, appropriately dubbed "BBQ/365."

"It almost redefines the way barbecue sauce can be used," Barbour says. "And the key to it is, once people taste it, they realize it's unlike any other barbecue sauce they've ever had. I swear, it's like magic - people taste it and they buy it."

There's a crew of individuals who help Barbour make that magic happen, whom he collectively calls, "the backbone of FunniBonz." Fully supporting his enterprise and following him to events like the tasting at PQM are Barbour's mother, Jo; his sister, Casi King; his niece, Lauryn King; and his girlfriend, Evonne Ellis. Also on board are the owners and staff of PQM, whom Barbour says "took him in, no questions asked" and helped make his dream a reality.

"It's unbelievable," Barbour says. "I wanted to come here because it's our hometown grocery store. I plan to have the number one barbecue sauce in the country, and we're starting right here."
For more information, visit www.funnibonz.com.