Who could have thought that a family business fight would turn out to be one of the big cases in the mainstream media, and this would become a major lawsuit that’ll end with a $9.1 million verdict? Well, if that’s kinda hard to believe for you, see, that’s a real thing that happened, and yes, we’re referring to the Bitchin Sauce Lawsuit here. So, if you’re not following up with this case for some reason and now want to just catch up soon, let’s talk about some of the important details of this case. Here we go then.
What’s the Story Behind Bitchin’ Sauce?
Alrighty, so just about 15 years ago, 2010 to be exact, Starr Edwards, an underage girl at the moment, started Almond Dips to create snacks that were more interesting for vegans. The family began selling the dips at farmers’ markets in San Diego, and the business became popular very quickly. By 2015, Bitchin’ Sauce was a $2 million brand already present in major stores.
On the other hand, it is not always easy to run a family-owned business. Starr’s brothers, Ryan and Porter Smith, were also a part of the company. Disputes over command and division of profits led to such disagreements that there were at times fights. In 2015, Starr took the company under her sole control, and her brothers were removed from the business.
After being separated from Bitchin’ Sauce, Ryan and Porter started their own company called Good Lovin’ Foods and created a rival product called JeeSauce. Thus, the conflict between the two family businesses began, and the feud is still going on.
What Was the Lawsuit About?
The most recent lawsuit had nothing to do with the brothers but with a disgruntled employee. Sarah Freeman initiated a claim against Bitchin’ Sauce and its affiliated companies, asserting that she had been violated in the workplace in several instances.
In the end of 2020, Sarah was brought in to open a beach club in Carlsbad, which is somehow related to the Bitchin’ Sauce brand. She claimed that the company purposely gave her the wrong job title to avoid paying her overtime and giving her a fair break. Besides that, she alleged that the supervisor of the workplace was harassing her.
Sarah mentioned that she was fired in response to the report she had made regarding the harassment in March 2022, quite soon after raising her concerns. The lawsuit referred to issues of wrongful termination, harassment, and wage violations. The defendants who were named in the case consisted of Bitchin’ Inc., Bitchin’ Sauce LLC, Bitchin’ Beach Club LLC, and CEO Starr Edwards.
Then? What Happened in Court?
The legal proceeding kicked off in November of 2024 in Vista, California, and it was 12 days in duration. Finally, the jury verdict was in favour of Sarah Freeman, determining that the company had violated the law.
The jury decided that Sarah should receive more than $4 million for unpaid wages and emotional distress. Besides that, they raised over $5 million in punitive damages, stating that the company’s conduct was of malicious intent. The total settlement exceeded $9.1 million, thereby ranking among the largest California workplace law verdicts of 2024.
What Was the Reaction?
The legal team of Sarah made a statement of satisfaction to the court. In addition, the siblings of Starr Edwards, Ryan and Porter, talked about the lawsuit on their SauceCast podcast in June 2025. By the result, they said, it was like their persistent suspicions about the management and practices of the company were being confirmed.
Bitchin’ Sauce has remained silent on the matter. Well, at least so far! Nevertheless, the decision has caused the media to look again at the conflict between the families that has been the subject of several articles since 2015.
