The Y-Bridge Tasting

We set up a folding table at the foot of the Y-Bridge on a Saturday in October. Three salsas: Black Bean & Corn, Cilantro Green Olive, and Raspberry BBQ Chipotle. A stack of tortilla chips, a sharpie, and a notebook.

By 4 p.m. we had handed out 184 tastings. Here is what we learned.

The hesitation is always the same

Almost everyone does the same three things in the same order:

1. They glance at the table.
2. They pretend not to.
3. They circle back.

The circle-back is where the magic happens. It's the moment a person decides that trying a stranger's salsa is a thing they are willing to do today. That decision is everything. The recipe never had to be perfect — the invitation did.

Raspberry was the surprise

We expected Black Bean & Corn to win the day. It's our most-shipped flavor and it's the safest bet. We were wrong.

Out of 184 people, 97 asked to buy a jar of the Raspberry BBQ Chipotle on the spot. Black Bean came in second at 64.

The takeaway: when people can taste before they buy, they get bolder. They reach for the weird one.

A note on the tourist

One woman drove down from Cleveland, parked in the wrong lot, walked across the bridge in the wrong direction, ended up at our table by accident, tasted all three, bought four jars, and asked us where the bridge was.

She was standing on it.

That's Zanesville for you.

Catch us at the next event — see the Where is Jose page for the full calendar.