With a dash of passion and a pinch of risk, Kissie Stroup, ’88, started a salad dressing company, Little Black Dressing, in 2011.

Growing up in a family of chefs, cooking has always been a labor of love for Stroup. She fondly remembers family dinners during her childhood, laughing at the dinner table and relishing her grandmother’s salad topped with a homemade dressing.

Over the years, Stroup would make her grandmother’s special vinaigrette dressing for potlucks with friends. It was a hit. “People would show up at the house with jars and I would fill them up to go,” said Stroup. “At one point, my husband said the dressing needed its own office and to start a business.”

Stroup decided to take on the challenge with the mentality of building her business slowly and strategically. “The food industry is cutthroat. A wrong move can put you out of business fast,” she said. “I make sure to team with the right partners, at the right time, and in the right locales.”

The approach has proved successful for Little Black Dressing. In 2014, the company achieved a milestone even Stroup was not expecting – it was chosen as the official salad dressing of the 2014 U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C. Stroup had received an email inviting her to submit samples to the U.S. Golf Association’s caterer. “I initially thought it was my family playing a joke on me,” said Stroup. “Once they convinced me it was not a joke, I turned in samples and was picked.” 

The large task was a feat for the small company. At the time, Stroup ran the production of the dressing, mixing and filling each bottle herself. With the help of family and friends, she was able to send the requested 3,000 bottles to the U.S. Open. “It was probably the most stressful job we have ever done,” said Stroup. “Nevertheless, we finished it, and it was well-received.”

So well-received, Little Black Dressing was chosen as the U.S. Open’s official dressing for a second time in 2024. “I do most everything for the business still, except for production,” said Stroup. “The dressing is made in a facility now so we were able to fulfill the U.S. Open order with less stress.”  

Stroup said one of her greatest strengths is persistence. As a business owner, this skill is invaluable. “Don’t expect instant success. Don’t expect easy. Be ready to work hard and have long days and disappointments. Don’t be beaten down by the word “no”. Use it as a catalyst to push harder. Celebrate the good moments. There are lots of those, too.”