From drill sergeant to salad dressing: Fort Bragg vet has found a 'date' for success

Even before he embarked on a 20-plus year career in the Army, Chris Whitehurst knew he wanted to own his own business someday.

The Senior Culinary Management NCO with the 20th Engineer Brigade at Fort Bragg, who also ran the post's Smoke Bomb Hill dining facility for several years, Whitehurst is no stranger to food. His father also worked in food service while he served in the Marines, which Whitehurst said was the inspiration for his own career. 

In August 2020, at a work potluck, Whitehurst brought a bottle of his balsamic vinaigrette dressing, sweetened only with deglet noor date syrup.

He began developing the dressing while serving as a drill sargeant at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Looking to eat healthier, Whitehurst began eating more salads and vegetables but was looking for an alternative to supermarket salad dressings, which often contain added sugars.

Fellow soldiers, impressed by Whitehurst's creation, commented that he should bottle and sell it. With his eye on retirement and looking to flex his entrepreneurial muscles, Whitehurst took the suggestion.

Within three weeks, on Sept. 17, he filed for an LLC and CW Dressings was created. 

"I knew I didn't want to get a job," Whitehurst joked. "I knew this is what I wanted to do."

For months, Whitehurst balanced his duties at Fort Bragg with his growing business, crafting 40-bottle batches of dressing every Sunday, which would often sell out during that upcoming week. 

In July, he signed on with a Charlotte-based copacker, revamped the look of the bottle to evoke images of fine wine, and began selling the dressing in stores.

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The dressing is currently sold in 10 stores across North Carolina and Virginia, including in Fayetteville at Pate's Farm Market, LeClair's General Store, Grapes & Hops, A Bit of Carolina, Cousins Caribbean Grocery, The Downtown Market, Home Food Market in Raeford and a number of local farmers markets. 

Whitehurst retired from the Army as a master sergeant on Sept. 12, giving him even more time to devote to the business. 

His first order was 500 bottles.

That sold out.

He picked up another order of 780 bottles last week and expects those to be gone soon, too. The proof, he said, is watching people's faces light up and eyes widen after tasting the dressing. 

"The looks on their faces reassured me that this is a good product," he said.

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A second product — a hot sauce sweetened with dates — is currently under development with the copacking company.

New packaging formats for the dressing, including gallon-sized containers for restaurant use, are in the works. Whitehurst said he'd love to see his dressing topping salads all the way from Fayetteville to Raleigh.

While salad might be the classic pairing, Whitehurst said the dressing also goes well with steak and other grilled meats, as a dipping sauce for French fries and even on top of your eggs in the morning.

Whitehurst said his goal is to create products that both taste good and stand out from the crowd. 

"Sometimes being different is better than being better," he said. 

He also wants his business to serve as a model or inspiration for fellow soldiers approaching retirement as they look to make a career outside of the military. 

"When you retire, it's not too late," he said.

Jacob Pucci writes on food, restaurants and business. Contact him by email at jpucci@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @jacobpucci or on Facebook. Like talking food? Join our Fayetteville Foodies Facebook group. 

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