Don José Badia leaves Spain in search of opportunities in the New World. His first stop is Santiago de las Vegas, Cuba, where he is known for his hardware store, Badia y Garriga.

Facing challenges on the island, Don José emigrates to Puerto Rico and enters the world of spices. Garlic, pepper, and vanilla become part of the Badia family, and it is during this time that the Complete Seasoning formula is born.

From Puerto Rico, the family looks for new markets in Miami, home to Cuban immigrants who were building strong loyalty to their brands. There, Badia begins to grow alongside another company and reaches the shelves of Sedano’s supermarkets.

From this small warehouse, Don José, Doña Azucena, and their son Joseph packed products by hand at night, working until dawn before heading out to deliver orders to more than 30 small stores throughout Miami Beach.

This was the face of Badia in its early years, when the brand introduced its signature red color, which remains a defining part of Badia to this day.

Badia was already enjoying great success on the shelves of Sedano’s supermarkets when it secured shelf space at Varadero stores in Miami.

The arrival of more than 125,000 Cuban exiles during the Mariel exodus brings new momentum to the U.S. Hispanic market. Demand for Badia begins to grow in supermarkets throughout South Florida, several Caribbean islands, and Puerto Rico.

Building on this momentum, Badia secures shelf space in 10 Winn-Dixie supermarkets in Puerto Rico. Adobo becomes an essential product at major retail locations, and Badia prepares to move into a new warehouse.

Latinos, deeply loyal to their brands, continue to drive momentum. This growth leads Badia to a new home at 519 SW, equipped with more automated packaging systems and bottling lines for marinades.

Through a professional network of distributors, Badia enters Publix through an initial 100-store test, which eventually grows to more than 300 locations.

Badia expands to the West Coast of the United States, Texas, Atlanta, and the Tampa Bay area, and launches its Mexican line featuring leading products from this culinary tradition. New York also begins its relationship with Badia Garlic Powder.

Badia establishes itself as a global brand, expanding its presence into the markets of Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, and the Netherlands.

Badia opens a new facility. More than 35,000 square feet house fully automated dry-packaging lines and the first in-line mojo production line, allowing the company to pack up to 800 cases a day.

Badia successfully expands into new food categories with innovative products, launching its own line of olive oil and canned goods such as hearts of palm and malanga.

An ambitious packaging redesign gives the brand a fresh new presence, while specialized subcategories are introduced within the traditional line, including innovative gourmet blends.

With more than 350 UPCs, a presence in 1,100 locations across the U.S., international markets spanning three continents, world-class distribution, and expanded production capacity, including 28,000 additional square feet and state-of-the-art production lines, Badia establishes itself as a major leader in the category.