Our History

Krizman’s Sausage has been family-owned and operated right here in the historic Strawberry Hill area of Kansas City, KS for over 85 years! Since our company opened its doors in 1939, we have treated every customer as if they were a part of our family. As a result, we commonly see many generations of families enjoying our products year after year.

Krizman’s Sausage was founded by Joseph Krizman Sr. and his brother-in-law Matt Grisnik in 1939. As refugees from Croatia, they escaped the devastation caused by World War I, and set off for America to build their dream. Grisnik and Krizman as it was called back in the day, first started as a small mom-and-pop grocery store, which produced a small amount of sausage with recipes brought from Croatia. Soon people were coming from miles around just to get the mouth-watering sausages.

Joseph Krizman Jr. bought Grisnik and Krizman in 1972. As the years went on, one thing became clear, the sausage was the star of the store. Seeing that it was what people truly loved, he decided to close the small grocery store, rebuild from the ground up, and dedicate the business entirely to our famously renowned product, “Krizman’s Sausage”. Soon, we had some of the best restaurants in Kansas City, particularly BBQ restaurants, putting our sausages on their menus. The demand for our products quickly grew. To meet the delivery needs of all of our accounts, we started using foodservice distribution companies to get our products to all of our consumers throughout the Midwest.

Today Krizman’s Sausage is owned by Joseph Krizman III. Realizing that popularity in television cooking shows, bbq competitions, and social media has fueled the home consumer to produce restaurant quality food, we have once again come full circle and put an emphasis on the retail market. Joseph Krizman III completed a major expansion of our retail area with a complete array of smoked and fresh sausages available. At the same time, Joseph Krizman III has continued to grow our wholesale presence by partnering with more distributors, restaurants, and foodservice providers. Additionally, he also is expanding our social media presence and marketing to connect directly with customers and share the flavors and stories behind our brand.

Now, the tradition continues with Joseph Krizman IV, the fourth generation to step into the family business. With a passion for flavor and innovation, Joseph and his mother Mary (Cavanaugh) Krizman are leading the charge into a new frontier, Krizman’s Seasoning! Building on over 85 years of Croatian family recipes, Krizman’s Sausage is proud to introduce Krizman’s Seasoning, a bold new line inspired by the same old-world craftsmanship that made our sausage a Kansas City classic. From the smokehouse to your kitchen, every blend captures the authentic flavor and heritage of Krizman’s. With Joseph Krizman IV at the helm, the Krizman legacy continues to grow, one savory bite at a time!

 

All the flavor. All the heritage. Now bottled for your kitchen.

From our family to yours… Krizman’s Seasoning