Cugino’s Gourmet Foods got its start in a very unconventional way. After being inspired by a newspaper article on a Sunday afternoon, Dan Hochstatter started dreaming what it might be like to bottle the Italian Dressing he and his wife had always made from scratch. He ordered a few dozen sample bottles and mixed up a batch of dressing in the family kitchen. With the wife, three kids in a wagon, and Max the dog in tow, he passed out samples and surveys to the folks in the neighborhood. After overwhelming positive feedback, Cugino’s was born. With his wife Debbie, taking care of the legal and financial details, Dan set his mind on product development, the corporate image, and packaging designs. Since that start in September of 1995, the company has moved out of a modest home operation in Lake in the Hills to a warehouse in the same town. The product line has both changed and expanded to include Soup mixes, Dip mixes, Pasta Sauce, Rubs, Spank dry rub seasoning, and the famous Garlic Spread, a mixture of fresh cuts of Italian cheeses packed in olive oil, garlic and spices. To this day, Dan and Debbie Hochstatter still own and operate the company. They are involved in marketing, product development and general management of daily activity.
Cugino's Gourmet Foods was established in 1995 and features award winning soup and dip mixes, spice rubs, garlic spread, pasta sauce and Italian dressing/Marinade. Daniel J. Gourmet Premium Specialty Foods was established in 2006 as an extension of our brand and offers nine unique varities of soups and dips in an elegant and upscale package.