A sixth-grader at Leechburg Area High School is her own sauce boss.
Emilee Kostyak, 11, of Leechburg, is founder and CEO of D&D BBQ.
At age 5, Emilee tasted her dad’s homemade barbecue sauce and promptly told him she didn’t like it.
“I was being a little sassy and told her, ‘Go make your own,’ ” said Tim Kostyak, Emilee’s dad and the chief financial officer of D&D BBQ.
Emilee took his advice to heart and began experimenting with different ingredients.
She ultimately created her own unique BBQ sauce and started the business with her father when she was 6.
“She did it. The next thing I knew she had opened up her culinary world,” said Kostyak, of Harrison City.
Emilee said her love of cooking began very early.
“I remember being little and baking cookies and almost burning my mom, so the next day she signed me up for cooking classes,” Emilee said.
Emilee created three signature BBQ flavors: Devils Kiss, Smoky Spicy Garlic and Emilee’s Potion.
They sell for $8 a quart.
She said her not-so-secret ingredient is Dr Pepper.
“I use two cups per batch. It was my favorite drink when I was little,” she said.
The sugar in the Dr Pepper contributes to a nice caramelization process and gives ribs and brisket a nice crust, Tim said.
The top-selling flavor is Emilee’s Potion, the mildest of the sauces. Customers desiring more kick seek out Devils Kiss, described as very spicy.
“It feels good every time someone buys sauce,” Emilee said. “I feel so excited!”
D&D sells about 20 quarts a week, and Emilee usually cooks in her dad’s kitchen after school on Wednesdays.
“The onions, they’re the hardest part. They get me,” said Emilee of the cooking process.
The father/daughter duo said the business ramped up production when Emilee was 8 years old.
She formed an LLC last December and has set her sights on building her brand.
“Now we see that this is actually a thing. It’s going to take off,” said Emilee’s step-mother, Leanne Kostyak, who assists with quality assurance.
Plans are underway to transform the basement at her dad’s home into a professional-grade kitchen/production facility.
D&D operates out of a Pennsylvania-licensed kitchen in Harrison City, and Emilee splits her time equally between her mom’s residence in Leechburg and her dad’s home in Harrison City.
Her homemade sauces are available by ordering on the D&D BBQ Facebook page and are sold at Allusion Brewing Co. in Vandergrift.
Allusion Brewing Co. uses Emilee’s Potion as the exclusive sauce for their nachos.
Robert Buchanan, co-owner of Allusion Brewing, said his customers frequently inquire about the type of sauce used in the nachos, and they always ask for “more sauce.”
“We tell them Emilee’s story, and it usually ends with some sauce going home with them,” Buchanan said.
D&D is used in chicken wings served at Bob’s Place in Jamestown. The Moonlight Inn in Vandergrift featured Emilee’s sauce as a guest sauce on their menu.
Emilee’s mom, Caylee Hill, said her daughter’s passion for cooking really has blossomed.
“We love to hear about how her business is growing. Emilee is fierce, strong and full of fire,” Hill said. “She can’t be held back because her passion burns brighter than her fears.”
Emilee said building the business is a goal.
“I want to be in the grocery store one day and see my sauces there on the shelf,” Emilee said.
When Emilee isn’t in the kitchen, she enjoys playing Harry Potter Lego, softball and painting.
Emilee said she’s saving up her profits (she earns $2 from each quart sold) for a special trip.
“I’d like to go to Mexico or Florida,” she said.
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September 14, 2021 at 10:17PM
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Leechburg Area sixth-grader started her own BBQ sauce business half a lifetime ago - TribLIVE
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