Their dad, Don, was in the live chicken business until 1967, when a contagious disease swept in, infected his coops and killed off his broods. Listening, finally, to encouraging friends and family, Don took his personal recipe for less-sour homemade refrigerator pickles and started selling it to the public. It was a crunchingly good decision.
Today, the Hermann's have strong sales in Ohio and contiguous states, including high-profile, deli-related restaurants such as Yours Truly, Winking Lizard and Corky & Lenny's. They also make custom-label pickles for accounts they aren't allowed to name but are widely distributed in supermarkets, alongside their own brand.