By now everyone knows about Huy Fong Foods hot sauces. Started in a vacant store front by a refugee from Vietnam, the company now shipped worldwide, and has had to sue other companies for trade dress infringement.

But there is another.

Laid off aerospace worker Jose-Luis Saavedra started hot sauce production with a capacity of about 5 cases (120 bottles) per week. During his first really good year, he worked his butt off as sole employee - and shipped 1700 cases of Tapatio hot sauce. While actual production is secret, he says 1700 cases is now done in an hour.

He did have one stroke of good luck. His original brand name was Cuervo. He sold rights to the name to tequila maker Jose Cuervo for enough money to buy some simple production equipment.

One thing I do know - you'd be very hard pressed to find a Mexican restaurant or taco stand in Los Angeles without a bottle of Tapatio hot sauce on every table.