Tom Cooper of Lovejoy would like your vote.
The retired restaurant worker, 53, has taken to Facebook and hit the phones to garner
support for his culinary dream: seeing his hot sauce on Wal-Mart's shelves.
"Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce" -- "The Only Real Choice," the label says -- is one of
about 4,000 products in the retail giant's "Get On the Shelf" contest. The top ten
vote-getters move on to Round Two.
Preliminary round voting ends April 3, and buffalotoms.com links to the sauce's contest
page. It sports a video of fan testimonials, spelled out in earnest Comic Sans, from around
the world.
Cooper first bottled and sold his sauce 10 years ago, he said. After a four-year break it's
available again, at Marco's Italian Delis in Buffalo and Amherst. A 12-ounce bottle goes for
$5.
"Even if I don't win, I'm accomplishing my goals," he said. "The recognition is priceless."
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Food and Drink