Ayoh Foods co-founder Molly Baz, a former Bon Appétit editor, has published two cookbooks. (Courtesy Ayoh Foods)
At-home sandwiches are boring. Golden resident David McCormick wants to change that
“People love sandwiches — they just kinda make terrible ones at home,” said McCormick, the CEO of Ayoh Foods. “It’s very utilitarian. Folks just grab whatever bread, whatever protein and Hellmann’s or Frenchs. It checks the box of budget friendly and convenient, but it falls short of that experience at your favorite sandwich shop.”
Ayoh, which he founded in 2023 alongside prominent cookbook author Molly Baz, makes concoctions like Tangy Dijonayo, a mayo-dijon mustard hybrid, and Giardinayo, a combo of the egg-based staple with pickled relish and Calabrian chiles. It also has dill pickle mayo and original flavors.
Bottles sell in packs ranging from $36 to $54. They first went on sale on the company’s website in November, selling out within weeks.
David McCormick
“We placed a big bet prior to going live and we knew the holidays were coming,” said McCormick, whose favorite combo is the Dill Pickle and Dijonayo on a burger. “We put up four months worth of inventory and it was gone in two weeks.”
Sales are rolling again. McCormick said Ayoh made 150,000 pounds of mayo several weeks ago — about four times more than the first batch — to reup its sauce stables.
The company also raised $4.5 million earlier this year to build up its team of less than 10 people. It was backed by consumer VC firms Imaginary Ventures, Habitat Partners and Simple Food Ventures.
While Ayoh only sells on its website for now, McCormick said it will go live on Amazon sometime this month. He also is in talks with local and national retailers.
“It can be easy to get distribution and retail placement as a consumer company, but it’s really challenging to keep that placement. We’re trying to operate so that retailers win, Ayoh wins and customers win,“ he said. “We want to be a household condiment name. That’s the north star. A premium, affordable, luxury product.”
McCormick has extensive experience on both the retail and product side of consumer goods.
He was the director of grocery operations for Whole Foods’s Rocky Mountain region from 2008 to 2015 before working for brands like Magic Spoon, a high-protein, sugar-free cereal, and Moku, a mushroom jerky.
Ayoh Foods currently offers four flavors, including classic mayo. (Courtesy Ayoh Foods)
McCormick said he met Baz a couple years ago. At the time, the cook and food writer was thinking of making a dressing — a natural fit for the “Cae Sal Queen.”
But as the two talked it out, they pivoted.
“A lot of traditional CPG thinks about a category where there might be disruption and builds around that. We were the opposite,” McCormick said. “We started with that customer experience and fell into it. Mayo is just such a great flavor conduit.”
With titans like Hellmann’s and Duke’s, the mayo space wasn’t ripe for reinvention, McCormick said. But he believes Ayoh’s line can coexist among those household names.
“What’s really unique for us is it’s not just a flavored mayo,” he said. “Folks are still gonna grab their Duke’s and have a Giardayo on the side.”
Though Baz lives in Los Angeles, McCormick said Ayoh distributes products out of a warehouse in the Denver metro area. While most of his team is remote, his house in Golden serves as the de facto headquarters.
“We will probably start to build a more physical in person base soon, and Colorado is a great place to operate from,” he said. “Great talent pool, nice and centrally located. For now, this is home.”
Ayoh Foods co-founder Molly Baz, a former Bon Appétit editor, has published two cookbooks. (Courtesy Ayoh Foods)
At-home sandwiches are boring. Golden resident David McCormick wants to change that
“People love sandwiches — they just kinda make terrible ones at home,” said McCormick, the CEO of Ayoh Foods. “It’s very utilitarian. Folks just grab whatever bread, whatever protein and Hellmann’s or Frenchs. It checks the box of budget friendly and convenient, but it falls short of that experience at your favorite sandwich shop.”
Ayoh, which he founded in 2023 alongside prominent cookbook author Molly Baz, makes concoctions like Tangy Dijonayo, a mayo-dijon mustard hybrid, and Giardinayo, a combo of the egg-based staple with pickled relish and Calabrian chiles. It also has dill pickle mayo and original flavors.
Bottles sell in packs ranging from $36 to $54. They first went on sale on the company’s website in November, selling out within weeks.
David McCormick
“We placed a big bet prior to going live and we knew the holidays were coming,” said McCormick, whose favorite combo is the Dill Pickle and Dijonayo on a burger. “We put up four months worth of inventory and it was gone in two weeks.”
Sales are rolling again. McCormick said Ayoh made 150,000 pounds of mayo several weeks ago — about four times more than the first batch — to reup its sauce stables.
The company also raised $4.5 million earlier this year to build up its team of less than 10 people. It was backed by consumer VC firms Imaginary Ventures, Habitat Partners and Simple Food Ventures.
While Ayoh only sells on its website for now, McCormick said it will go live on Amazon sometime this month. He also is in talks with local and national retailers.
“It can be easy to get distribution and retail placement as a consumer company, but it’s really challenging to keep that placement. We’re trying to operate so that retailers win, Ayoh wins and customers win,“ he said. “We want to be a household condiment name. That’s the north star. A premium, affordable, luxury product.”
McCormick has extensive experience on both the retail and product side of consumer goods.
He was the director of grocery operations for Whole Foods’s Rocky Mountain region from 2008 to 2015 before working for brands like Magic Spoon, a high-protein, sugar-free cereal, and Moku, a mushroom jerky.
Ayoh Foods currently offers four flavors, including classic mayo. (Courtesy Ayoh Foods)
McCormick said he met Baz a couple years ago. At the time, the cook and food writer was thinking of making a dressing — a natural fit for the “Cae Sal Queen.”
But as the two talked it out, they pivoted.
“A lot of traditional CPG thinks about a category where there might be disruption and builds around that. We were the opposite,” McCormick said. “We started with that customer experience and fell into it. Mayo is just such a great flavor conduit.”
With titans like Hellmann’s and Duke’s, the mayo space wasn’t ripe for reinvention, McCormick said. But he believes Ayoh’s line can coexist among those household names.
“What’s really unique for us is it’s not just a flavored mayo,” he said. “Folks are still gonna grab their Duke’s and have a Giardayo on the side.”
Though Baz lives in Los Angeles, McCormick said Ayoh distributes products out of a warehouse in the Denver metro area. While most of his team is remote, his house in Golden serves as the de facto headquarters.
“We will probably start to build a more physical in person base soon, and Colorado is a great place to operate from,” he said. “Great talent pool, nice and centrally located. For now, this is home.”
