Andrew Arbogast debuted his Arbo’s Cheese Dip on May 15, 2021, at High Point Grocery.
“I remember bringing over 12 cases, which is 144 total tubs,” says Arbogast, 37. “And it sold out that weekend.”
A year later, Arbo’s Cheese Dip is in 300 stores in the Mid-South. And that’s not just grocery stores. Area locations include Oxbeau, which sells clothing and other items; Millstone Market & Nursery; and Doc’s Wine, Spirits & More.
It’s also sold at Grind City Brewing Co. “They sold more cheese dip than most of my customers.”
As of July 7th, Arbogast says he’s sold 29,024 tubs.
His slogan is “Cheese fix mafia.”
On August 15th, the dip will be available in major Texas cities. And in late summer/early fall, Arbogast will introduce two new flavors — Queso Blanco and Spicy Original. Arbogast currently is giving samples of the new dips at pop-ups.
Last year, Arbogast quit his job at International Paper to devote his time to the business.
He had been trying to figure out how to get into KeHE, a major wholesale food distributor. “They’re national. They support very large grocery or retail chains. Just to name a few: Publix, Schnucks, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Sprouts. Once you get into KeHE, doors open.”
Arbogast got a call from the company this spring. “They said, ‘Hey, this is so-and-so from KeHE. We’re reaching out on behalf of H-E-B and Central Market in Texas.”
H-E-B Grocery Co. is a “large local Texas retail chain. Central Market is owned by H-E-B.” They had heard about Arbo’s Cheese Dip and wanted to try it, Arbogast says. “I told them, ‘You’ll have the samples tomorrow.’”
He was “floored” after he got the phone call. “If anybody knows queso and/or cheese dip, it’s going to be Texas. So, I shipped samples the next day. They got them. I get a call the following day and they want two pallets of it in July. And I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’”
As for his new dips, the idea to add more flavors began when Arbogast started selling the original cheese dip. People were saying, “Do you have a white or a ‘queso blanco’?”
“And I said, ‘I don’t. I guess I’ve got to figure that out.’”
Then, he says, “Over time people were saying, ‘Dude. The original recipe is great, but you can even kick it up a little more if you want to.’”
Arbogast realized he needed to have more flavor options. “It took me all of seven months to come up with two new formulas. And it was just constant failures,” he says. “I’m talking too runny or too much seasoning or not the right seasoning.” The new dips had to have the “perfect consistency and quality.”
His original dip is made with his father’s recipe. “The original recipe never changed,” Arbogast says.
So, he began experimenting.
For the spicy dip, Arbogast told himself, “Okay. I know I have to take this original recipe and crank up the heat, but I don’t want to change the flavor a ton. I just want it to be spicier. I don’t want to add chipotle or any other jalapeños or other distinct flavor that could change the flavor of it.” He found “a type of pepper that has a very mild flavor but ends up giving the dip a smoky finish. And all the while kicking up the heat.”
As for the white dip, Arbogast says, “Initially, I tried to use the same seasoning blend as the original and substitute the tomatoes with jalapeños.” His first attempt “tasted great.” But, he says, “The problem is when you added the original spice it changed the white to gray.”
The dip wasn’t “visually appealing,” Arbogast says. “So, we added garlic powder, onion powder, and those sorts of whitenings.”
The jalapeños give it a “totally different flavor. But it’s incredible. And it still has a kick.”
