Llance Kezner never thought he would be in the food business, even when he was laid off from his job at a startup software company. One evening after dinner with some friends, his wife, Lori, took a garlic chunk left over from some salad dressing he made. Immediately upon tasting the “junk” at the bottom, Lori asked Llance if he could make it.

“I said, ‘I guess I could make the junk,’” says Kezner. “I wound up playing around with the recipe … and decided to take the plunge and start our business.”

At the time, Kezner didn’t think that this would be their livelihood.

“I’m unemployed, and you know it really started off as just a test,” he says. “For a few months we didn’t know what was going to be going on, while I’m trying to find a job.”

Kezner persisted with his garlic product and continued to look for ways to market it.

They began their business in April 2009, and by the end of the summer they had a commitment to supply the product to all of the QFC and Whole Foods grocery stores in Washington and Oregon. They currently have about 145 retail accounts selling GarLic It! throughout the Pacific Northwest, and even as far as Connecticut and Alaska. The product is also available in gift shops and online.

Garlic It! is sliced, marinated garlic that comes in a jar. It can be added easily to any meal, saving time usually spent by preparing garlic. As it reads on their website, it truly is “garlic inspirations for the home chef,” it adds flavor to any meal.

It comes in three flavors: Savory Basil, Spicy Chipotle and Sichuan Pepper, but Kezner said that they will be releasing a couple more flavors soon.

“Even though the economy is kind of tanked, it’s shown me that if you have something of value, people want it; they’re still willing to get it,” says Kezner of the rapid success of his company.

Another reason for success is the “cooking at home trend,” says Kezner. More people are inclined to eat and entertain at home instead of going out. For home chef enthusiasts like Kezner, GarLic It! is a great addition to any meal. Garlic can take time to prepare, and GarLic It! can speed up home cooking and add a unique flavor to a dish.

“I make my pasta sauce from scratch, and I noticed a huge difference in the taste once I started using Garlic It!” says Alicia Ortiz, a frequent Garlic It! user and aspiring chef. “It’s definitely easier than preparing my own garlic, and faster.”

On Jan. 17, the Kezners took GarLic It! to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Hosted by the National Association of Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), the Fancy Food Show is a marketplace for specialty foods and beverages all around the world, according to the NASFT website.

“The most bona-fide buyers” attend the show, and it is a way for specialty food companies, new and old, to establish relationships with these buyers and market their products more. In order to attend the Fancy Food Show, one must be a member of NASFT.

The Kezners attained membership to NASFT in a few months, though it normally takes about two years to get. Because GarLic It! is sold in over 140 stores, they were able to bypass the “member candidate” status of NASFT, and gain full membership, thus allowing them to showcase their product at the show.

When asked if he would consider going back into the technology business, Kezner said no.

“It’s actually been very refreshing” and much more rewarding, he says. “The happiest moment for me is when I’m in a grocery show doing a garlic demo, and … someone comes and tastes it, and they go ‘Oh my gosh. This is incredible.’ You know, that’s really cool.”

Kezner has done several demos for his product at various Whole Foods locations around the region.

“We love to demo new products in our stores, it’s such a great way to get customers to try the product. The vendors love to see customers react, too, and of course, demos often help drive sales too,” wrote Vicki Foley, media representative of Whole Foods, in an e-mail about the product.

While there is no specific figure of sales, she says the product is doing “fairly well in our stores here.”

“People are passionate about garlic” the way they are with bacon or chocolate, says Kezner.

People approach Kezner and say, “’I love that stuff!” Which means that they’ve been using it,” he says. “That happens now almost every time; I run into somebody that has been a customer now for a while. I never got that with technology. It’s visceral.”

You can find the product at QFC or Whole Foods stores around the area, or purchase it online at www.garlicit.com.

Sarah Kane is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.