1. WE HAVE GOOD NEWS TO SHARE ABOUT ADVENTURES IN SPICE!
“That was our mission from day one.
We wanted to give back to St. Patrick Center.”
The women of Adventures in Spice are proof-positive that the adventure does not
have to end at retirement. Feisty, fun-loving and business-savvy are three
adjectives to describe Laura Bozzay and Linda Yonce, two of the company‟s
managing members and friends for 20 years.
Early retirement afforded Laura the opportunity to pursue her interest in spices.
“I wasn‟t going to stay home.” She spent the next six months researching the spice industry. Soon, Linda took an
interest in Laura‟s new endeavor and decided to invest and become a partner. With the help of their friend and
third managing member, Debbie Siebert, the trio started Adventures in Spice, a spice company with a twist:
selling grade-A spices and spice blends that also focus on health and wellness. Along with traditional and custom
blends, their line also includes spices with no salt, sugar or additives. Adventures in Spice incorporated their
company and after reading about St. Patrick Center‟s BEGIN New Venture Center in the St. Louis Review, they
set up a meeting and signed a lease.
Adventures in Spice has grown primarily through word of mouth. The ladies sell their spices at farmers markets,
craft fairs and online. They also have a commercial line and have participated in the Missouri Botanical Garden‟s
Best of Missouri Market and the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. Food bloggers have contacted them for
permission to use their popular spice chart!
Laura admits there can be challenges with operating a small company. „We wear every hat. When the printer
goes out, we‟re the IT department.” They use creative ways to keep operating costs down. “We pay a lot in
spices!” Future plans call for selling their no-salt products to hospitals and senior-living facilities.
Laura and Linda never forget their commitment to give back to St. Patrick Center. They want to hire agency
clients and try to share information and resources with other BEGIN companies. “They help us, we help them,”
Linda said. “It‟s a wonderful relationship.”
To view other success stories and videos, visit www.stpatrickcenter.org.
The BEGIN New Venture Center is small business incubator and St. Patrick Center
program. St. Patrick Center is Missouri’s largest provider of housing, employment and
health opportunities for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
800 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101 ♣ 314-802-0700 ♣ www.stpatrickcenter.org