Alabaster resident Dwayne Thompson is a man of many talents, one of which helped him create a line of flavorful barbecue sauces he sells by the bottle under the name Big Daddy Bomb BBQ Sauce. Thompson, 48, hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. After college, he worked as a promoter and security specialist in the music business for 12 years. He has been an alarm designer with ADT security for 10 years. In addition, he’s a published author and a radio and TV show host, he has a non-profit organization called Youth against Violence and he is a 22-year ordained minister and has served on the ministerial staff at New Vision Christian Church in Helena for eight years. As if that’s not enough, he’s in his ninth year as a community police relations assistant with the city of Birmingham. Thompson enjoys fishing, cooking, teaching and “motivating men and young people to live better lives and recognize self-worth while making better choices in life.” Read on to learn how his Big Daddy Bomb BBQ Sauce brand was born.

When and why did you start experimenting with barbecue sauce recipes?

I started barbecuing years ago for family and friends, and my children have always loved my sauces that I would create around the house. Two years ago I was looking for a second income, and I was out cooking at a local tavern for a friend, and a guy told me, “You should put this sauce in a bottle.” I ignored him, and the next week another guy told me the same thing, so I did some research, prayed, formed a company, gained certification, and two years later, here we are.

What places and experiences from your past have influenced your sauces and dishes?

My time spent in California, but definitely my Louisiana upbringing, plays a major part in my Cajun style of cooking and sauces. Although most people think of Cajun as spicy or hot, my thought is flavorful and robust; therefore, I use a lot of blended herbs and spices with just a hint of heat, nothing overpowering or overbearing.

What inspired the name of your product, Big Daddy Bomb BBQ Sauce?

The name Big Daddy comes primarily from size and stature. The ‘bomb’ comes from “bomb as in good,” not “bomb as in hot.” It’s the bomb, not a bomb.

When people tastes your sauces, what do you want them to experience?

I want them to experience a flavorful robustness like never before. I want them to remember the sweetness with the subtle heat ending kick that lets you know that you just had the best sauce experience of your life.

What are your plans for your business?

My plan for my business and my brand is to be known as the first nationally recognized sauce company with a New Orleans-based influence and an Alabama manufacturing partnership that eventually will have a catalog of sauce creations, not just barbecue. I would love for my company and brand to be known as socially and morally conscious with a social footprint of educating and giving back to the community. The lessons I have learned are that nothing comes without hard work, it takes money to make money and no one will work to promote or sell your product and company as hard as you, no matter how much you pay them. You have to stay hands-on, and prayer is everything. You can’t be truly successful without God.