5280 salsa.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: [small biz] COLORADO COOL STUFF

Rick Thomas and Bob Cohen, friends and neighbors in Centennial, were brainstorming for a business to start, and Thomas brought his mother Donna's salsa to the table. Cohen's first reaction:

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"There's a lot of salsas out there." Then he tried it, and he was sold. "I've had hundreds, if not thousands, of people tell me it's the best salsa they ever had," says Thomas, noting that the ingredients are traditional (tomatoes, jalapenos, red onions and spices), but the proportions of each make it stand out.

After launching in 2004, it took the duo until last year...