End of an era for popular salsa company

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Robert Gropper has been making his salsa for 27 years and is closing this month.

POUGHKEEPSIE – Robert “Bobby” Gropper and his wife Valerie have been providing My Brother Bobby’s Salsa to the greater Hudson Valley for twenty-seven years and are shutting the business down this month to pursue other options.

My Brother Boby’s Salsa has been a major brand in markets throughout the northeast and has had a prominent presence in all of the Adams Fairacre Farms stores for many years.  The salsa, made with fresh tomatoes and other ingredients have been handed out at nearly every local charitable event that has taken place in the last two decades.  Restaurants like Tavern 23 in Poughkeepsie have used My Brother Bobby’s Salsa in their dishes since they opened a few years ago.

“My wife Valerie and I have been doing this for twenty-seven years and we decided that we need a change,” said Gropper.  “We’re healthy and still active and will continue to help make a difference in the community but we needed a change.”

The company name was the brainstorm of Robert’s sister Julie DeStasio in 1993.  Getting ready to unveil the product line at the International Food Festival in the City of Poughkeepsie in 1993, Julie was tasked with making the labels for the yet-to-be-named salsa.  DeStasio, according to Bobby said “Why don’t you just call it what it is – my brother Bobby’s salsa,” and the name stuck.  According to the salsa maker, “the rest is history.”

Robert & Valerie Gropper have been married for more than 30 years and have been business partners since the start of the company.

The closing was announced on social media Friday morning with a post saying “Valerie & Bobby of My Brother Bobby’s Salsa have decided to take early retirement, effective immediately.  All stores are fully stocked for Super Bowl so we encourage you to get the salsa or bruschetta while supplies last.  Thank you for 27 years of incredible support.”  The post was met with a firestorm of comments ranging from congratulatory to disappointment.

Gropper is not fading away he said.  “I’m going to be doing one last sampling event at Adams in Poughkeepsie Friday afternoon from 3-7 PM so shoppers can stock up on my product just in time for Sunday’s Super Bowl!”

Robert and his wife Valerie have donated a countless amount of time and truckloads of their products to charities and non-profits over the years as their way of giving back.  On more than one occasion a local food pantry was having issues with their refrigerators and the salsa company let Dutchess Outreach use space in their walk-in coolers until the repairs were made.  “We enjoy helping those that help others,” said the salsa maker.




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