Our Story
“I believe I make the planet’s greatest applesauce. My mom’s product, when she made it, tasted like apple pie without the crust.”
-Jim Mullen, Mullen Foods Founder
Jim Mullen joins the CPD
Jim Mullen launches his own applesauce brand.
Jim Mullen and his family
Roots in Homemade Cooking
Food has always been a part of the Mullen family story. Jim’s mother grew up in Chicago, where her parents ran a neighborhood grocery store during the depression. Though the store didn’t survive those tough years, the experience shaped a lifelong connection to food, hospitality, and community.
A Self-Taught Chef with a Full Life
Jim’s mom was a self-taught chef who cooked everything from scratch—while working full-time as an executive secretary for the president of Appleton Electric. Every meal at home was homemade. Apple sauce wasn’t store-bought; it lived in reused Miracle Whip jars in the fridge. Dinner parties were a weekly tradition, and friends couldn’t get enough of her cooking.
John and Audrey Mullen welcome a son
John Mullen, a Chicago officer, and Audrey Mullen welcome a son. Audrey was a woman who made everything from scratch. There was always a jar of her homemade applesauce in the fridge. Jim used to kid her, "This is so good we should bottle it!"
Small Batches, Big Memories
Each fall, Jim and his mom would sit together peeling apples, turning bags of fresh fruit into small batches of apple sauce. They’d compete to see who could peel the longest continuous strip. Those moments—simple, hands-on, and full of laughter—became the foundation of what would come later.
Jim Mullen joins the Chicago Police Department
Jim was born into a police family. His father served as a Chicago cop, and his sister also married a police officer. Jim met his wife, Athena, early in his career, where she was also a Chicago PD officer.
Jim Mullen is injured in the line of duty.
On that day, Jim responded to reports of a man with a gun shooting at passing "L" trains (in Chicago). They tried to gain entry, but couldn’t do so. As they were leaving the scene, the suspect "jumped out of his door and fired two shots." A bullet entered Jim’s right cheek and damaged his spine instantly.
Jim Mullen joins CBS 2 WBBM TV
After his injury, Jim joined CBS 2 as a reporter, becoming the first ventilator-dependent quadriplegic to broadcast for a major network, with a focus on inspirational stories and disability advocacy.
Jim Mullen receives Emmy
Jim received an Emmy in the category: Outstanding Achievement for Sports Programs for his story on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon while at CBS 2.
A Spark of Inspiration
After Jim’s accident, he was having some tests run on his heart. They had to test him in the basement of the hospital. The tech at the hospital told him about starting a barbecue sauce company from a family recipe. Intrigued by the possibility of turning a family recipe into something more, Jim went home and started Mullen’s with the ultimate goal of his mom seeing her applesauce on the shelf at her local grocery store (Happy Foods in Edgebrook). He ordered 40 cases from a small-batch manufacturer and gave away all 480 of the 16-oz jars.
From Local Shelf to Nationwide
That first store said no—until they didn’t. Jim’s mom helped by visiting the store, facing jars, and making sure everything looked right. Word spread. Today, Mullen’s Applesauce is sold in multiple retail locations, including major stores, while staying true to its roots: a premium, small-batch product made the right way.
Meet Audrey Mullen
Audrey Mullen was a self-taught chef who hosted dinner parties every weekend. In her kitchen, everything was homemade. Growing up, Jim would find an old Miracle Whip or Hellman’s jar filled with her homemade applesauce. Being a jokester, Jim would tease his mom, saying, “Oh, Mom, this is all so amazing. We should bottle it.”
Jim’s first goal in producing Audrey’s applesauce recipe was to get it on the shelf at Happy Foods, where she shopped.
Jim’s mom was gregarious, upbeat, and loved meeting new people. For Jim, sharing Mullen’s Applesauce today feels like sharing her spirit—one jar at a time.