So when I learned about locally owned CurrySimple, I was intrigued. Michael Moran is founder of this company, which he launched in 2006, that manufactures sauces, soups and marinades.

I've seen your colorfully painted van around town. It's great advertising.
I get asked about the van - there's only one - all the time! People tell me the times they saw it and where during the same day. One guy wanted me to show it to his girlfriend because she wanted to see the famous car.

Thai curry sauce requires a lot of ingredients and precise blending, which are challenges for the home cook. What was your concept?
Since I moved to Atlanta 10 years ago, I have been working in restaurants. During the day, I read about investing and marketing, always looking for a big idea that I could market throughout the U.S. and potentially, the world. For the past six years I worked in a Thai restaurant, and I learned a lot. I understood the difficulties of cooking (Thai food). CurrySimple solves the problem.

I tried your sauces and soup, and they are as easy as 1-2-3 to make and absolutely delicious. All you do is cook your protein, add some veggies and the curry sauce. In 10 minutes, you are ready to eat.
Well, I'm a pro, so I can do it in five or six minutes! It's called CurrySimple, not CurryDifficult. The sauces solves the problem. You get as good a result as from scratch.

Your products are mad in Thailand. Who developed the recipes?
We worked with a company in Thailand to develop the recipes, and our factory is located two hours outside Bangkok. We wanted to make the food taste like (what you get) in a Thai restaurant. Getting the balance of flavors right was part of the excitement. We don't cut corners, and there are no preservatives. Our products are more of a gourmet item, a little more expensive than microwave kits. But the end result is much better.

I Am fascinated by the vacuum sealed pouches. Can you tell me about the technology?
There are four ways to package a curry sauce: in a can, in a jar, frozen or in a pouch. The vacuum sealed retort pouch is relatively new to consumer markets, but it's been used by NASA and the Army. The Army calls them MRE's - Meals Ready to Eat.

Soldiers don't eat this well! Tell us about the look of the packaging itself.
We wanted a real clean, real white look. Everything on the shelves is so colorful, so this stands out. It's a little more expensive than a can or a jar, but it saves on storage and transportation costs.

Plus, once you cook the sauce, it can be refrigerated for three or four days or frozen for up to a year.
That's because it's freshly cooked. Curry sauce is a durable sauces. Put it in a Ziploc and it freezes just fine. I promise you will like the results.

Right now, you sell primarily from your Web site, but you also have retail distribution, right?
We get orders from all over the U.S. from the Internet. We have focused our marketing in the southeastern U.S., and we are rocking! In Atlanta, you can find CurrySimple at Whole Foods, Cook's Warehouse and Harry's Farmers Market.

What are your expansion plans?
We are definitely looking to expand north and west.

What's your No. 1 seller?
The red curry sauce. The recipe is awesome because it's got a light spice, so it's great for both those who can handle spice and those who don't like such spicy food

What do Thais think of CurrySimple?
Thais have so much pride in their food. The older generation almost doesn't like that I've made it so easy! But the younger generation loves it.

Have you thought about expanding into other ethnic cuisines?
I have been asked by a lot of people to make Indian food. I'm an entrepreneur, so I'm always looking for new opportunities. But right now I want to do more with the Thai food brand. Once I am covered in the U.S., it will be easier to introduce a new line.

Is CurrySimple kid-friendly?
The yellow curry and massaman curry, which has tamarind and is a little bit sweeter, are huge hits with kids. It really broadens their horizons. I tell them they are the future of CurrySimple!