Signs of life: Artist vitalizes communities with ‘vintage’ style
Builds on the past, offers a glimpse into the future
December 2, 2024
APPLETON – After a handful of years sharing her pink Himalayan salt creations with folks at craft shows and farmers’ markets, Patti Janz, along with her daughter, Amanda Dotson, took a leap and opened a brick-and-mortar location.
“We are very excited to finally have our own storefront,” Janz said.
Pink Fusion Spices – located at 1707 S. Oneida St. in Appleton – specializes in creating unique and customized spice blends using pink Himalayan salt.
“For nearly seven years, we’ve poured our hearts into creating unique spice blends that bring flavor and joy to every meal,” Janz said. “This journey began with a passion for cooking and a desire to offer something different – spices made with a healthy twist using pink Himalayan salt.”
Small dreams become reality
Janz said she and her daughter started small.
“I was about to retire and was 58 years old,” she said. “I thought, ‘Well, I have to do something – I don’t have grandkids to chase after, so I need to do something.’ I didn’t want to work for somebody else.”
That’s when Janz said she started selling pink Himalayan salt lamps.
“There was a lady I met who had a whole bunch of different types of salt things,” she said. “I started doing home parties, something I never thought I would do. Shortly after that, the stores came out with these salt lamps after I made this giant order, and they were selling them for a third of the price I was. I thought, ‘This has to go bye, bye.’”
That’s when Janz said she pivoted and did something different.
“I love salt – I’m a salt-aholic,” she said. “So when I found out I didn’t get thirsty and swollen from pink Himalayan salt, I thought I would pair it with organic spices and not add any of those things I don’t know how to pronounce and use anyway.”
Inspired by that idea, Janz said she took a business class at the local technical college.
“That was in 2017, and then the next summer, we launched at the Appleton market, setting up the pink booth,” she said. “I still do that one, and we also do the Green Bay market. At first, I was all over the place – (working) sometimes five, six or seven days a week.”
As the popularity of the spices grew, Janz said she started thinking about opening a storefront.
“With my cousin owning the building where Pink Fusion operates business out of, that has helped greatly,” she said. “She’s doing massages in there right now but had mentioned to me, ‘We don’t use this bigger room for yoga classes anymore, so if you want to make a kitchen out of it, you can.’”
Janz said financially, the storefront was in her price range, so it made sense.
“With the leftover money I had from last year, I thought, ‘I should be able to do this,’” she said. “I always wanted my own place and space because otherwise you have to pay a monthly fee and then hourly after that. With having my own place, I can customize spices for people who have allergies or can’t have salt. People can enjoy delicious food and don’t have to spend hours at the grocery store reading packages. If you have a recipe but don’t want to buy all those different spices, I can make your recipe for you.”
Janz said she only had to add some shelving and sinks to the building.
“For my spices, I don’t need cooking supplies, refrigeration, etc.,” she said. “I have racks with spices on (them) and also some accessories – spice spoons, salt and pepper containers, pepper grinders, etc.”
Hoping for more
With the change to the cooler months and the increase in prices, Janz said things are a bit slow right now, but she’s hoping business picks up soon.
“The Wellness Way promotes my spices, but I think some people are a bit shy and private about (needing or wanting certain blends),” she said. “I haven’t gotten a lot of people who have come in requesting customized blends. I’ve been getting people who come in just looking for your average (organic) cooking spices. I’m hoping it’s just about getting the word out there.”
Janz said even at the markets this past summer, “things were a bit slow.”
“I thought it was just me,” she laughed. “(But) all the vendors at the markets said they did half of what they normally would. I think it’s really hard to base this year on anything, so I’m hoping that starting in January, things will turn around.”
Janz said certain spice blends sell better than others, but she’s always trying to come up with new mixes.
“Right now, I’m working with JSA Coffee (Roasting LLC) out of Seymour on a coffee rub,” she said. “I put some spices – garlic, onion flakes, etc. – together with the coffee grounds. In the next couple of weeks, (the owner) is going to rub the blend on some meat and put it in the smoker.”
Janz said Pink Fusion has 38 different blends and 40-plus single spices.
“I don’t have every spice out there available, but if anybody asks and I have it, I will gladly package it for them,” she said. “I also have six to eight different flavored salts to choose from.”
Janz said she buys her ingredients from certified organic companies.
Because she only goes through certain organic companies, Janz said when she’s out of a particular spice, she’s out.
When possible, she said if a certain spice is out of stock with a supplier, she does what she can to find another source.
“I tried that when smoked paprika was out of stock one time,” she said. “It was out for more than a year, and gosh, I tried like six different companies. I found one that was super close, but I’m just not going to spend all that money to do that again.”
Janz said there are differences between organic and regular spices.
“The organic is a lot stronger in flavor,” she said. “Before I started doing this, I would always say to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, I must have never had a fresh spice in my life.’ When I would put (spices) on my food, I was very heavy-handed and overdoing it. Now, with using organic spices, I have to remember to back off a little bit because organic is more flavorful.”
Janz said her daughter is a big part of the business as well.
“She creates the labels and any signs (the spices) may need,” she said. “She does all the background work and also helps create different spice blends. She’s kind of a combination of behind-the-scenes and helping with the spices. She does some of that stuff I can’t do well.”
For more information, visit pinkfusionspices.com or find it on Facebook.
