Heidi and Micah Stampley of Georgia founded Orleans Food Authentic Beignet and Baking Mix. Thanks to the retailer’s annual “Open Call” event, the mix is now sold in over 200 Walmart shops across five Southern states.
According to Heidi, the recipe was created by her husband over two weeks. “It’s just exciting to see your dream actually in a bowl,” she told WSBTV while pouring her mix.
She stated that they were given the opportunity to pitch it at Walmart’s annual “Open Call,” which allows entrepreneurs from all across the country to present their ready-made products to Walmart.
The Open Call has been running for a decade and provides small enterprises with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In addition, the retailer has promised to invest an extra $350 billion in products “made, grown, or assembled in America, supporting the creation of over 750,000 U.S. jobs,” according to the company’s website.
Prior to starting their beignet business, the pair managed a Fayette County restaurant that closed just before the COVID-19 shutdown. Nonetheless, the partners were resolved to launch another business.
This prompted the locals of Louisiana to mass-produce the baking mix, which is currently available in 200 stores in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Heidi remembered walking along the aisle and spotting her product among other brand-name baking ingredients.
“Is this real? Because you’ve been going into Walmart all your life getting Duncan Hines and icing. All these things are there. And then my product is tucked right there in the middle!” Heidi told WSB-TV.