Our Story - Kiolbassa

Bacon Hiatus: A Letter to Our Customers from Michael Kiolbassa…

OUR STORY

The Kiolbassa Difference

Celebrating 75 years of savory goodness! We know there are many sausage brands on the shelf, but there’s only one that’s as BIG AND BOLD as the state of Texas itself: Kiolbassa Smoked Meats. Made with Honest Meat and Real Smoke.

Since 1949, the Kiolbassa family has been devoted to the time-honored tradition of hand-crafting sausage and bacon the slow, authentic way. We use only the finest cuts of meats and the freshest spices. We slow-craft our meats in small batches, then it’s smoked over hardwood. It’s never hurried, never compromised and contains no MSG or fillers. Just real, authentic meats crafted the old-fashioned Texas way. Bold. Hearty. And so satisfying. You’ll want to take your time enjoying Kiolbassa Smoked Meats. Because we sure took our time making them.

Kiolbassa Culture

Our History

1949

1960

1987

2005

2014

2019

2024

In October of 1949, Kiolbassa opened its doors to the Southwest side of San Antonio and began selling their smoked sausages. It would be slowly smoked with natural hardwoods, and made only in small batches.

Rufus and Juanita continued to run the Kiolbassa plant until his untimely passing in 1960. Following the death of his father, Robert Kiolbassa took the reins of the business and led the business to become a staple in the San Antonio area.

Coming up quickly behind him, Robert’s son Michael started as a salesman within the company in 1987. He quickly learned the ropes of the business and the meat industry, and knew it was important to begin building partnerships with other local grocers.

After investing a lot of time and effort into networking, Kiolbassa became available in a few select HEB stores across San Antonio. Michael began delivering the product to HEB from his own truck, and as Kiolbassa gained popularity, it was picked up in HEB distribution centers. A few years later, Kiolbassa was able to gain distribution to Costco stores around the country.

Our products got the attention of Publix partners, a grocery store in the South, and we were soon selling our smoked sausage, bacon and breakfast links in stores. Since then, Kiolbassa can be found stocked in stores like Meijer, Jewel Osco, Walmart and Kroger. None of these successes could be possible without our dedication to family tradition, our mission and our values.

Through trials and celebrations, Kiolbassa has remained grounded in our family values and was able to celebrate 70 years of business in the fall of 2019. From a single production plant in San Antonio, Kiolbassa Provision Company has matured into one of the fastest growing sausage brands in the nation, processing 20 million pounds of sausage in the prior year.

For 75 years, Kiolbassa has seasoned lives with flavorful traditions. Thanks to dedicated and loyal customers, Kiolbassa gained popularity to become the #2 Beef sausage brand in the country. Entering 2024, Kiolbassa continues to grow and has expanded distribution to military commissaries across Europe, the Mediterranean and as far East as Japan.

Bobby’s Legacy

“Be generous. Live generously.”

Bobby Kiolbassa

Robert Alfred (Bobby) Kiolbassa was the son of Kiolbassa’s founders, Rufus and Juanita Kiolbassa. When Bobby was in college, his father became very ill. Just shy of graduation, Bobby left college to lead the family business. He continued to lead the company until his death in 2021. Bobby had a heart of gold and was always eager to lend a helping hand to those in need. We honor his legacy through a special program for non-profit organizations and fundraising events. We call it “Bobby’s Legacy.”

How it works:
Kiolbassa will donate one 10 lb. box of Traditional polish-style sausage, for every two boxes purchased. Each box contains approximately 50 links.

You are eligible to participate in this program if you are:

This donation requires local pickup at our Company Store in San Antonio, Texas. You must provide proof of your event (i.e. flyer). If you need more than 6 boxes, we recommend placing your order as soon as possible at (210) 226-8127 or by email to info@kiolbassa.com.

Our Promise

We Exist to Enrich Lives

We provide a safe, empowering and fulfilling work environment.

meaninful-experiences

We create memorable eating experiences.

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We strive to deliver legendary customer experiences.

We are passionately involved in our community.

Our Promise

A product as bold and hearty as Kiolbassa Smoked Meats deserves an equally honest and straight-forward guarantee – and it has one:

“The best sausage you’ve ever eaten, or your money back – guaranteed.”

Enough said!