If you visit the Kirkwood or Tower Grove farmers’ markets in the coming months, look for Jordan and Alex Franks. The couple’s Jack’s Salsa line of salsas come in three varieties and can be ordered online or in person at pop-ups and markets across the region.
Jack’s Salsa started out almost by accident, with Alex making salsa in the Franks’ home last July. Husband Jordan had stocked up on store-bought salsa early in the pandemic, but he and the family were underwhelmed with the options.
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“We weren’t trying to launch a business at that time. We were just trying to prepare an afternoon snack,” Jordan says. “It was so fresh, and it just had a really bold flavor to it.”
At the time, Jordan told Alex that they should package and sell the salsa, but a few months passed before they started to take the idea seriously. By September, however, they began to put a plan into action, and Jack’s Salsa was born.
There is no “Jack”—or rather, the name is an acronym for the Franks family as a whole: Jordan, Alex, Carter, and Kinley. “It’s definitely a family affair,” Jordan says. Their eldest daughter Carter, age 9, helps with peeling and chopping garlic and labeling containers.
Jack’s Salsa is currently available in three varieties, priced at $9–$10 each or $8 for a sample-size set of all three. Nicknamed “The OG,” the Sassy Salsa is essentially the recipe that the couple originally whipped up at home. Jordan describes it as a mild salsa—a blend of tomatoes, white onions, cilantro, and garlic. The Magic is the best-seller so far, with its bold fusion of mango, red pepper, and red onion, among other ingredients. “You get a little bit of honey flavor,” Jordan says. “It gives it a sweet kind of balance in there, because there’s a little jalapeno as well.” And the Spice, nicknamed “The Green Machine,” is a tomatillo-based salsa that gets its kick from serrano peppers, jalapeños, and white onion. “The bold flavors of all three [ingredients] is what really gets into your taste buds; it almost smacks you a little bit,” Jordan says.
One goal for Jordan and Alex is to offer a healthy alternative to some of the preservative-laden products found in the grocery store. Their labels for Jack’s Salsa promise a product made with “fresh ingredients, lots of love, and no BS.” Franks says it’s important for customers to know exactly what they are eating, and that means no obscure preservatives or additives. “I think we can safely say that everything that is in our salsa, you can pronounce it, look it up with ease, and understand what it is,” he says.
While chips and tacos are a natural pairing, Jordan says the possibilities are endless. For instance, he’s also tried it with rice bowls, quinoa, eggs, meats, fries, and raw vegetables, such as squash, zucchini, and cucumber. Jordan also recommends using Jack’s Magic with fish, including salmon and tilapia. “My favorite is Spice, which I’ve even dressed up my ribeye with,” he says.
The Franks family makes their salsa in a commercial kitchen in Fenton and currently operate on a direct-to-consumer model. Customers can place online orders for delivery on Saturdays and Sundays, with delivery fees usually starting around $6, depending on the location. They also try to accommodate pickup requests. “We try to make it as convenient as possible,” Jordan says.
Jordan and Alex typically set up shop at the Kirkwood Farmers’ Market twice a month and, as of May 1, they plan to start selling at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market on one Saturday each month. Follow Jack’s Salsa on Facebook or Instagram (@j.a.c.ks_salsa) for updates.
The Franks family hopes that retailers will take notice and that Jack’s Salsa will eventually have an opportunity to compete on a larger stage. “Our goal is to be inside of a grocery store,” Jordan says.
For now, they’re busy working hard—“24 hours a day,” says Jordan—to build the brand. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” he says, “but this is probably one of the most exciting things we’ve ever done.”
