Video: Junebug’s Sauce: Stirring Up Success Through Digital Empowerment

In 1986, a Seattle Creole restaurant called Thompson’s Point of View introduced a sauce that would become legendary. A bold blend of Creole and Asian flavors, with just the right balance of heat, sweet, and savory, the sauce was so good that one of the first customers shouted, “Hallelujah!”—and the name stuck.

Nearly four decades later, Hallelu-jah! Sauce is still delighting taste buds, thanks to Gail Thompson, wife of the late Carl Thompson, the sauce’s original creator. Gail launched Junebug’s Sauce in 2012 to honor Carl and meet the continued demand for the sauce after the restaurant closed. Named after a traditional Southern nickname for men with junior surnames, Junebug’s has grown from a passion project into a thriving business.

Today, Junebug’s is a staple at the Kent Farmer’s Market and is available at local retailers and online at https://www.junebugssauce.com/. But Gail Thompson isn’t stopping there. “We’re trying to move away from being a mom-and-pop operation, and we are busting at the seams,” she said.

To help scale her business, Gail applied for and received a Comcast RISE grant package—a powerful boost for small businesses looking to grow through digital transformation. The package includes:

• $5,000 in funding
• A technology makeover from Comcast Business
• Creative production and a media schedule from Comcast Advertising
• Business consultation services

These resources are designed to help small businesses like Junebug’s modernize operations, enhance marketing, and build digital capacity. From free computer equipment and cybersecurity services to professional produced commercial and strategic coaching, the grant is a game-changer.

Junebug’s is one of 100 King County businesses selected for the 2025 Comcast RISE grants. Over the past five years, RISE has invested $160 million in over 14,500 small businesses nationwide, helping bridge the digital divide and support our local communities.

For Gail, the grant means more than just funding, it’s a pathway to sustainable growth.

“We have quite a few ideas to expand and grow, we just need the funding,” she said. “And the business coaching—that can really open some of the ideas around strategic planning. It’ll be great to have folks from Comcast come in and see how we can better leverage some of the processes we already have in place.”

Digital Inclusion in Action

Junebug’s story is a shining example of how digital inclusion empowers entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, reach new customers, and build lasting legacies. As we celebrate Digital Inclusion Week 2025, we honor small business owners like Gail Thompson who are embracing technology to fuel their dreams.

Learn more about Junebug’s and Hallelu-jah! Sauce at https://www.junebugssauce.com/.. For more on Comcast RISE, visit https://www.comcastrise.com/.