Jason Ciccone's Jammin' Jay's Dip began with a serendipitous mistake.
"I was actually trying to copy tzatziki sauce.. but back in the 90's, they didn't have the same things we do now, the lovely internet," he said. "It became a fan favorite of everybody's."
What started as a gyro condiment soon extended beyond family and friends. Ciccone began setting up at festivals, grilling under a large tent. Then came Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
"Hurricane Floyd shut down everything east of I-95 past Richmond," Ciccone recalled.
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With shows scheduled and money invested -- along with a wife and two children to support -- he faced a difficult decision.
Ciccone chose to prioritize his family, but the dip remained a cherished tradition.
"My family.. every time we'd get together they'd always ask me to make the dip and the gyros," he said. "One day my brother asked me: 'Everybody loves the dips -- why aren't you doing something with it?'"
Inspired, Ciccone decided to relaunch the venture, naming the company in honor of his nephew, who took his own life after returning from Iraq in 2012.
"He used to say, 'Uncle Jay, your dip is jammin','" Ciccone shared. "That's how we came up with the name: Jammin' Jay's Dip Mix."
His daughter-in-law designed the logo, and today, Jammin Jay's Dip is available in four flavors, sold online and in multiple NC stores -- still a side hustle for now.
"I want to be the next ranch," Ciccone said, with ambitions of going national while remaining proudly North Carolina-made.
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