This story is part of a series spotlighting the contributions of Black Portlanders to the regional economy. The Business Journal is profiling one Black-owned business a day through February. You can read the coverage here.
Tory Campbell’s business is rooted in family and community. He makes food products based on recipes from his grandparents' restaurant, Campbell’s BBQ, that was a mainstay in Southeast Portland from 1984 to 2007. We talked to Campbell about his business and outlook for 2023.
Closer Look
Company: Felton and Mary’s Artisan Foods
Founded: 2014
What it does: Manufactures barbecue sauces, rubs and sausage based on family recipes from Southeast Portland restaurant Campbell’s BBQ.
Web: feltonandmary.com
What was your biggest success of 2022? Navigating Covid — that in and of itself. As a small business owner you are talking about (the Covid-19 pandemic) as a crash course in being nimble and hopeful and courageous. Another was having our Pawpaw Sausages, that we brought to market a year and half ago, featured at a few Oregon State University football games (in Reser Stadium concessions). That was really great, expanding our reach in the market and the opportunity.
What are your 2023 plans for the business? Expansion into new markets. A year and a half ago we branched out to the Bay Area in terms of getting our products in stores there. My grandparents met and my family is originally from there. We are in 45 stores in the Bay Area. Part of the work there is growing the relationships and that our brand is known. Also, I am always flirting with the possibility of new products. We have a pantry of recipes that my grandparents were known for at the restaurant. It’s just making sure we are running a smart business and a healthy business when it comes to expansion.
Is there anything that has you worried about the year ahead? Inflation. That still presents a challenge in terms of our customer appetite for our foods, which we know they love but see as a premium product. Will we still be a first grab for them?
You are not only an entrepreneur but also have a background in working with the city in economic development. What could the city do to better support small businesses? The things that always remain tried and true that a business needs, the city could double and triple down on those: access to new markets and financial resources that are meaningful and flexible.
With the renewed attention on racial justice in 2020 there was a big push to buy from Black-owned businesses. Have you seen that momentum sustained? We saw a tremendous bump. During Covid, for us, it was a moment that helped us but it was from tremendous pain. We were blown away, but in that moment we said, how can we do good in this moment and give to the systemic issues of supporting youth. Out of that moment we created a scholarship (the F&M Scholarship). Each year we give a certain percentage of sales to support it.
