When Itiona Scott walked into a Chicago courtroom, she wasn't just defending a name — she was defending a promise made to her late mother. Nearly a decade after bottling her first salad dressing in her own kitchen, Scott has reemerged with EM Delish, a rebrand born from resilience, faith, and a refusal to let "Big Salad Dressing" define her story.
"I created this in honor of my mom, who died of undiagnosed heart disease," Scott told me. "Losing my mom changed my life for the better. It made me want to help others overcome the disadvantages of heart-related disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or just boring healthy eating."
From Potlucks to Store Shelves
The seeds of EM Delish were planted at workplace potlucks. Scott's homemade dressings were the star of every gathering. "Don't let her leave until we get the salad!" colleagues would joke. Encouragement turned to demand, and in 2015 she decided to bottle her creations.
At first, production was bare bones. She and her husband lugged ingredients into a commercial kitchen, making every bottle by hand. For a while, she delivered them straight out of the trunk of her car. "I didn't want people coming to my house, so I'd meet them somewhere with the dressing," she says with a laugh.
Those trunk deliveries grew into something much bigger. Within a few years, Scott's bottles were on Whole Foods shelves, where they became the number one selling salad dressing during the store's first month. Mariano's followed, and the bottles began disappearing faster than she could restock. Today, EM Delish is carried in more than 20 Chicago-area stores including Pete's Fresh Market and Mariano's, with a loyal following that drives repeat sellouts.
Fighting for a Name
That success attracted attention — and not all of it welcome. A national competitor, Marie's Dressing & Dips, challenged Scott's original name, Essie Marie's.
"They felt threatened by me having 'Marie's' on my products," she says. "So we were in court for two years. I decided I was tired of fighting something that, to me, was irrelevant."
Though her lawyers believed she had a strong case, the company pressured her to abandon trademark efforts. "They told me I could keep using the name, but they didn't want me to get a trademark. That wasn't going to work," she recalls.
Scott had a choice: keep fighting a giant in court, or move forward on her own terms. She chose the latter. "They weren't stopping my brand by taking the 'Marie's' off. People recognize me by my logo, my symbol. So I continued on."
The result was a reintroduction: EM Delish — short for Essie Marie's Heart Healthy Delish. The rebrand wasn't defeat. It was reinvention, proof that her company could grow without clinging to a contested name.
Clean Ingredients, Bold Mission
So what sets EM Delish apart in an aisle crowded with bottles? Scott points to what's not in her recipes.
"If you turn a bottle around, you'll see the difference," she says. "Other dressings are loaded with artificial flavors, colors, and chemicals people can't even pronounce. Our products are clean, nine ingredients or less, with no artificial flavors or colors."
Instead of standard table salt, EM Delish relies on Himalayan pink salt and potassium-rich ingredients. "Mineralized means it's something your body can actually use," Scott explains. "All salt isn't bad. Mineralized sodium helps rehydrate your body — like electrolytes."
That commitment to health is deeply personal. Scott's mother, Essie Marie, died suddenly from undiagnosed heart disease, leaving her daughter with a mission: create products that not only taste good but support healthier lifestyles, particularly in Black communities where lifestyle diseases are on the rise.
The flavors are versatile too. Dressings double as marinades, elevating everything from salmon and chicken to tofu. Fan favorite Tootie Fruity pairs beautifully with strawberries, apples, or raspberries. Her balsamic blends shine on watermelon-and-feta salads. "We want to encourage consumers to eat salads every day, not just once in a while. Make it fun, make it creative," she says.
And if customers need inspiration, her website is filled with recipes — proof that the brand is about more than bottles on a shelf. It's about changing habits, one meal at a time.
The Grind & The Grace Within It
Building EM Delish hasn't been easy. Scott still makes part of her product line herself, supplementing with a co-packer when demand spikes. "This is my journey," she says candidly. "My husband helps me because he loves me, but it's not his dream. He sets up my lights, helps with production, even runs the camera sometimes. That's the reality of sole entrepreneurship."
Like many small-business owners, she's had to navigate not just logistics but also the emotional landscape of entrepreneurship. "As small brands, we don't always have the capital for the marketing we need," she says. "And sometimes, the support we get isn't genuine. That can be more hurtful than helpful. But you learn to spot it."
Still, the victories keep her moving. Celebrity vegan Tabitha Brown was spotted buying bottles of her dressing at a Chicago Whole Foods. Radio host Rashan McDonald has placed direct orders. A Real Housewives cast member shouted out her product online. "It's been a blessing," Scott says. "They promoted my brand just because they liked it."
More importantly, everyday customers keep showing up. "We're tired sometimes, but we can't stop because it's needed and the customers love it. They're the reason we keep going."
And she's quick to share advice with others chasing their own ideas. "Make sure it's something that's needed," she says firmly. "If it can benefit people's lives, they'll buy it. And plan. You don't have to do it all at once. This is year nine for me — it's not easy, but it's doable."
A Legacy of Love
From a teenager reeling from the loss of her best friend and mother to a businesswoman defending her brand in court, Scott has carried her mother's final words — "Make something of yourself" — like a torch.
"My mom cooked every day. She made sure everyone left our house full," Scott says. "When she died, she told me, 'Make something of yourself.' That's exactly what I'm doing."