"With the same legendary stubbornness of the Billy Goat, we have a commitment to craft a hand selected, sliced, seasoned and packaged potato chip of only the highest quality for the uncompromising consumer...Enjoy the dedication"
As professional chefs and restaurateurs, we realized that the artisanship and quality of our signature Billy Goat Chip was superior to anything found in the snack food aisle. We intended to change that. In 2009 we started The Billy Goat Chip Company. Placing high quality ingredients and hand crafted care at the top of the list, we employ the same techniques used at our restaurant to achieve a product that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but perhaps even the best potato chip on the market. The process begins with our potatoes. We use only russet potatoes from Idaho because of their dense composition and their deep potato flavor. We carefully select and hand feed every potato that is sliced. This extra care results in a slice that is generally longer than wide. This makes it perfect for dipping or presentation. We rinse our potatoes twice to remove any excess starch on the surface of the slices. This prevents the slices from sticking together in the frying process and helps to keep our canola oil pristine. Each batch is carefully weighed and the water is drained away before being placed in the Fryer. Since potatoes are mostly water, the initial steam process is impressive, but once it dissipates the real action begins. We hand stir every batch for the entire cooking process. This eliminates clumping, helps to cook evenly and produces a chip that is flatter, rather than curled. Once they have reached golden perfection, approximately 6 minutes, the chips are extracted, en mass, and prepared for seasoning. The unique seasonings, developed years earlier at the restaurant, are carefully weighed and gently applied to the batch. The tumbling action helps to distribute the flavor. We meticulously hand sort and weigh every chip to ensure quality and consistency. Our bags provide honest packaging with out the addition of nitrogen, that is why they are full of chips! This means that every bag must be opened and filled by hand. We do this nearly 6000 times daily!!! Each unit is given a straightening up and then it is sealed immediately to maintain freshness and packed for delivery within 48 hours.
Business is looking up presented by US Bank. The Billy Goat Chip Company spun out of the Billy Goat Restaurant and Bar that was over near St. Louis University, midtown area. The chips were a signature item that was served on the menu there. After eight successful years it was time for change. I wanted to put together a new business plan, a new venture. So we kind of took what customers were requesting and got to work on putting together a manufacturing company. So December of 2008 we did our last service at the restaurant and then in February of 2009 we opened up production here and started manufacturing and packaging the Billy Goat Chip Company potato chips. The local movement in general has just been a great support for I think a lot of local businesses. Louis because we would be selling a fresh product direct to people that could turn around and use it immediately. Not having to freight product in is a big issue for a lot of the people that we sell to. A lot of our customers are looking to buy within 150 mile radius and we can fill that need without being a major corporate company. We do run 24 hours a day. We have three shifts in production and two shifts in packaging. We get in cases of potatoes three times a week. We do all just in time manufacturing. So the potato chips that are sold are not made until they are ordered. So we get orders from all of our customers 24 hours before delivery and then that is put into production. Where the potatoes are picked, sliced, fried, seasoned and then moved up here where they go into the production phase. They are only in these store bags for just an hour. They come down to room temperature. They are picked through and then they are packaged and then out the door for delivery the next morning, 7, 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock in the morning. What makes being able to hire employees so rewarding is because for the first year were in business it was just the three of us. We did the exact same thing that we do now. We just did it with three people. We would manufacture, then package, then load up and deliver. So the first time you get to bring someone in and then hand over those tasks that you have been doing, And that is probably the most rewarding part about being able to bring other people into the fold because it is so close to home. It means so much and has been so fulfilling for the three of us. We want to share that with anyone that wanted to be involved. Business has been great. It really has. We will outgrow this space so once we hit that mark it will be time to relocate but we will stay in the city. Thank you.
