The story behind HOMEmade
Two careers,
one table.
25+ years
Restaurants
Managing restaurants throughout the Coachella Valley. Food, hospitality, bringing people together.
Then
Real estate
Helping people find a place to call home, and needing a way to be remembered.
Est. 2026
HOMEmade
His recipes, made here in the Coachella Valley, from his home to yours.
For more than 25 years, restaurants were my life. I managed restaurants throughout the Coachella Valley, and while I eventually left the restaurant business for a career in real estate, I never lost my love for food, hospitality and bringing people together.
When I became a Realtor, I quickly realized something: everyone already knew at least two Realtors. If I wanted to build a successful business, I needed to find a way to stand out and give people a reason to remember me.
So I went back to something I knew.
Food.
I started making homemade chips and salsa, creating my own recipes and sharing them with clients, at open houses and at community events. What started as a simple way to connect with people quickly became part of my real estate brand. And one tradition has stuck around from the very beginning: my real estate clients get free HOMEmade chips and salsa for life.
Once you're part of the HOMEmade family, you're always part of the HOMEmade family.
Then came the names.
- The Homeowner
- The Realtor
- The First Time Homebuyer
- The Appraiser
- The Escrow
Each salsa got a real-estate-inspired name with a story behind it. And before long, people weren't just remembering them. They were asking for them.
What started as something I made for friends, family and clients began to grow. I started hosting pop-ups. More recipes followed. People began asking where they could buy the chips and salsas, and somewhere along the way, something that started as part of my real estate business began becoming a business of its own.
And in 2026, HOMEmade Chips & Salsas was officially born.
The funny thing is, in some ways I've ended up right back where I started. For 25 years, I made a career out of taking care of people through food and hospitality. Then I built a real estate business helping people find a place to call home. HOMEmade brings those two worlds together.
They're my recipes. Made here in the Coachella Valley. Made for friends, neighbors, clients and anyone else who finds their way to our table.
Made from my home to yours.
James Suer, founder
2022 – 2026
From one fryer to HOMEmade.
How a client gift became a Coachella Valley chips & salsa company.
- bag of chips per batch
- Mar 20221
- tabletop fryers
- Aug 20222
- bags per batch, half the fry time
- Dec 2023~10
- salsas on the menu
- Today10
the mason jar era February 21, 2022
It Starts in Mason Jars
The first HOMEmade salsas were packaged in small mason jars with branded labels, with the hope that clients would save the jars after enjoying the salsa. The feedback? Most people threw them away. So much for that idea.
fryer no. 1 March 1, 2022
One Bag at a Time
The original chips were fried in a small electric tabletop fryer that could handle just one bag at a time. A second tabletop fryer soon followed to double production.
menu no. 1 August 1, 2022
The First Menu
The first HOMEmade menu featured just five salsas. What began as a client gift was starting to look a little more like a lineup.
pop-up no. 1 August 8, 2022
HOMEmade Goes Public
The first public Chips & Salsa pop-up took place at CV Meet Ups in Palm Desert, marking the first time HOMEmade was sold directly to the public.
the names! December 14, 2022
The Names Are Born
The real-estate-inspired salsa names were created and printed on menu cards for the first time. The names would become one of the most recognizable parts of HOMEmade.
love local February 19, 2023
Love Local
HOMEmade joined its first Love Local pop-up at Southwest Church in Indian Wells. It would become a regular event and an important part of the brand's early growth.
the big fryer December 17, 2023
We're Gonna Need a Bigger Fryer
A commercial deep fryer replaced the tabletop setup, allowing roughly 10 bags of chips to be fried at once and cutting production time dramatically.
yum fest May – October 2024
HOMEmade Keeps Growing
New recipes joined the lineup, production expanded into a shared kitchen, and HOMEmade participated in its first major event: Yum Fest in Palm Desert.
- Close the Dillpickles. seriously.
February 23, 2025
Close the Dill
Created during the viral pickle trend, Close the Dill combined roasted tomatillos with dill pickle flavor and immediately earned a permanent spot in the lineup.
- Home Sweet Homenow with local dates
June 3, 2026
A Taste of Home
Home Sweet Home was reinvented using local Coachella Valley dates. The sweet-and-spicy recipe became a permanent part of the HOMEmade lineup and a true taste of home.
- Sold out!DoughMama's porch pickup
September 17 – 22, 2026
Something Changes
HOMEmade Chips & Salsas sold out at DoughMama's porch pickup. Five days later, the brand was approved for Palm Springs VillageFest. What had started as a real-estate client gift was clearly becoming something bigger.
Est. 2026September 23, 2026
HOMEmade Becomes Official
HOMEmade Chips and Salsas officially became its own standalone business. After more than four years of recipes, pop-ups, new equipment, new flavors and plenty of chips, HOMEmade had become a business of its own.
Made from my home to yours.