In need of a new revenue stream, the USPT’s RC Gallegos put a Texas-style spin on a red-hot condiment.
Created in 2021, Texas Hot Honey wasn’t a stunt or a side hustle. It was RC Gallegos’ way of 
keeping his business alive while creating something that stood out in a crowded market.
“It was during COVID, and the landscape was unknown,” recalls Gallegos, owner of RC’s NYC Pizza & Pasta in The Woodlands, Texas. “I needed to develop another income stream, and the hot honey market four years ago was just gaining traction, not as oversaturated as it is today….So I crafted a gourmet hot honey that has spices, chili pieces and roasted skins—gems of flavor that you can see, not just taste.”
From Angry Peach to Killer Bee
Launching a product during a global shutdown sounds crazy, but Gallegos treated it like a pizza competition: research first, then relentless testing. “Real, 100% pure honey is expensive,” he points out. “Many honeys are blended and not pure, mixed with syrups or molasses as extenders. And shipping expenses are nuts.”
Gallegos partnered with Burleson’s, a 115-year-old, third-generation honey company, and earned True Source Honey certification, which means the honey is traceable from hive to table, tested to confirm authenticity, and audited by a third party. The certification, he notes, “gives transparency as to the lengths and expense you go through for your customers.”
He also developed a lineup that covers the full flavor spectrum—Mild, Medium, Hot and Extra Hot—with five flavors: The Original, Angry Peach, Pineapple Heaven, Roasted Hatch Green Chile, and Killer Bee. That last one lives up to its name. “Our Extra Hot, Killer Bee, is hotter than hot,” Gallegos says, “but it still allows the dish to be enjoyed.”
Meanwhile, he found his breakout star in Angry Peach. “As I was testing and preparing foods and recipes for our content and website, I found many times that the flavor profile of peach would be a great addition, so it just naturally manifested into Angry Peach,” he explains. “Besides, who doesn’t like a peach?”
A Question of Scale
The hot honey market is highly competitive. And like any Texas-size dream, growth comes with trade-offs. “That’s the unicorn in the room,” Gallegos says. “How do you scale and end up on the retail shelf while keeping the local feel?”
His answer: Keep the quality, even if the process evolves. “We lost that local feel when we changed to a True Source Certified honey and left the small local beekeepers behind,” he says. “But that’s the trade-off. You can’t scale and keep that local feel. The craft quality is kept in the bare bones of the brand. As we offer different flavors and heat levels, I am convinced we keep that crafty feel for the consumer.”
Gallegos’ product is currently available through a local distributor and on Amazon, Faire and his website. “But sales in our restaurants and Faire have really paid off with the biggest returns,” he says. He’s also begun private labeling his honey for a couple of brands. “So if that’s the direction it goes, I’m OK with that, as long as we get the product out there and it translates to profits.”
But it hasn’t been an entirely smooth journey. “Everything, from production to packaging for slotting, palletizing and shipping, has been a challenge,” he admits. “Plus finding logistics companies and food suppliers to take a chance on us and see us for what we are: overachievers who took an already great product and flipped it over and made a remarkable product that can appeal to a wider market.”
Gallegos’ journey is a case study for independent operators dreaming bigger. “Treat it like you do your pizza,” he advises. “Find a niche not being served and attack it. Sell to the consumer, not yourself and not your ego. Don’t cut corners.
“Partnerships are the most important factors, so choose wisely,” he continues. “Employ someone with experience in manufacturing and procurement for big-box stores or food distributors, because it’ll take that and a good amount of money behind it to get there. But it can be done, and you can do it. Be cautious of your time; it’s more valuable than you know. Don’t let people steal it.”
And, finally, there’s the memorable THH tagline: “Honey with a Sting! Put that STING on everything!” Asked about it, Gallegos chuckles. “Not much of that was my doing,” he says. “I’m old and haven’t found my ‘in’ with the younger generation, but my companies are all multi-generational. My son, Kennedy, is 21 and a very bright young man who I hope will take these companies over and breathe some fresh ideas into them for that cool branding attitude. My input has been all balance, flavor and quality.”
Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s associate editor and coordinator of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team.
