By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Guillermo Rodriguez, best known as the longtime on-air sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel Live, is entering the refrigerated foods aisle with the launch of Guillermo’s Salsa.
The fresh salsa brand just debuted at Costco locations across the U.S. Northeast, with a broader national rollout planned throughout the rest of 2026, giving fans the perfect snack to munch on while watching their favorite late night show.
Additional retail partners are expected to be announced as distribution expands. Store-specific details are available through the brand’s website.
Guillermo’s Salsa is co-founded by Rodriguez and Chris Kirby, founder of Ithaca Hummus, with Jimmy Kimmel’s company Kimmelot Labs leading creative and marketing.
The product is positioned as a fresh, refrigerated salsa made with simple, recognizable ingredients, including chopped tomatoes, lime juice, onions, cilantro, and peppers, and is inspired by family-style preparation rather than shelf-stable formulations.
“I dreamed about this salsa back in 2003,” Rodriguez said, adding that the product reflects both his personal journey and a preference for straightforward ingredients.
The partners say Guillermo’s Salsa is built around the idea that simple is best: real ingredients, zero nonsense, and flavor that delivers, and “made the way Guillermo’s abuela used to make it. Not like the suspicious stuff in a jar that lasts for two years.”
“Guillermo doesn’t fake anything, and neither does this product,” said Chris Kirby, Founder of Ithaca Hummus, and co-founder of Guillermo’s. “We didn’t set out to make a ‘celebrity brand.’ We set out to make a salsa worthy of Guillermo’s story and good enough to earn a permanent spot in people’s hearts, and carts.”
The initial lineup includes three heat levels—Mild, Medium, and Hot—each designed to balance fresh flavor with varying degrees of spice.
Guillermo’s Salsa represents the first product under the broader Guillermo’s brand, which is described as a platform built around celebrating the American Dream while bringing renewed energy to the Hispanic foods category.
Rodriguez has worked on Jimmy Kimmel Live for more than two decades, having been discovered while working as a security guard before becoming a regular on-air presence and red-carpet correspondent.
His career evolution—from parking lot to prime time to perishables—now extends into consumer packaged goods, with salsa as the opening act.
Kimmelot, founded in 2018, develops television, digital, and consumer-facing projects tied to entertainment and culture, and will support the brand’s creative strategy as Guillermo’s Salsa rolls out nationally in 2026.