Royals DH Billy Butler's Hit It A Ton Barbecue Sauce has become a "national sensation" since first hitting the shelves in April, according to Pete Grathoff of the K.C. STAR. Local sales, "in particular, have been robust." K.C.-based BBQ company Zarda COO Terry Hyer, whose company worked with Butler to develop the product, said that Zarda also "has seen had a spike in online orders." Hyer: "There’s no way I or anyone could have expected the phenomena that has taken off. Truth is, sales are booming. We’ve been struggling to keep up with everything that’s happened the last two weeks." He added that area grocery stores had "planned to sell the sauce for a limited time, but now they’re reordering." Sales of the sauce "benefit Butler’s Hit-It-A-Ton Foundation." Butler's foundation "supports the Bishop Sullivan Center," which distributes food to needy families in the K.C. area. Bishop Sullivan Center Operations Manager Mike Mathews said that Zarda joined with the non-profit "a year ago and Zarda introduced the 'Billy's Ton of Barbeque Sandwich.'" One dollar from each sandwich sold "went to the center." Zarda later "pitched the idea of the barbecue sauce, and Butler agreed" (K.C. STAR, 6/14).
