Local Flavor

Alumnus Rich Nassaney cooks up a sweet side business

“I’ve always loved the smell of traditional barbeque and the sweet-hot, sticky flavor, but you can’t taste the meat under all that sauce. You cover up the natural flavors!”

That’s according to Rich Nassaney ’93 who, dissatisfied with the marinades on the market, did what any sauceloving, adventurous backyard chef would do – he mixed up his own. Now – three years, four National Barbecue Association awards and more than 1,200 cases later – Rich’s Sweet Heat is tantalizing taste buds throughout New England.

“I started making the sauce and I really enjoyed it,” Nassaney says. “So did a lot of other people. It’s not like anything else I’ve found out there. It’s been three years and I’m still having fun – I took a leap of faith and I made it.”

A Rhode Island native, Nassaney developed a knack for business at his family-owned heating and cooling equipment company, Rgn Sales Inc., which he purchased from his father in 1998. So when it came to his savory new venture, Nassaney decided to deal exclusively with local, independent vendors – “I wanted a much more personal relationship,” he says – but if you’re convinced, you can order online at richsweetheat.esiteasp.com.