In the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Ohio, longtime resident Todd Torok is working to keep a family‑style sausage business alive after the deaths of his two original partners. The venture, Buckeye Road Sausage, grew out of an annual family sausage‑making day that Torok first attended about 15 years ago.
From family kitchen to local brand
The original recipe was handed down from the Hungarian father of Torok’s best friend, John Ruppert. Torok, who is also of Hungarian descent, and his friends refined the spice blend—adding paprika, pepper, salt, garlic and natural casing—until they felt it was ready for market in 2014. That year they produced 80 pounds of sausage and sold it all within an hour.
“I got hooked immediately,” Torok recalled, recalling how the group decided to try selling the sausage beyond family gatherings. The three friends even celebrated each successful batch with a shot of homemade Hungarian slivovitz, plum brandy, or whiskey.
Tragedy and perseverance
In 2016, Ruppert died of a massive heart attack just before a scheduled meeting with Giant Eagle about stocking the sausage. A few years later, Torok’s cousin Michael, who had also been involved, succumbed to brain cancer, and Michael’s mother—another key supporter—has also passed away.
These losses led Torok to step away from sausage making for a time, but about three years ago he returned to the craft, determined to honor the memory of his friends and fulfill their shared dream of seeing Buckeye Road Sausage on store shelves.
Looking ahead
Torok now runs the operation largely on his own, handling production, marketing and deliveries himself. He continues to take orders directly from customers, offering local delivery throughout the Cleveland area. While he still hopes to secure a partnership with larger grocery chains, his immediate focus is on preserving the spirit of the original team.
“We made a hell of a team,” Torok said. “Their spirit still lives with me, so I’m gonna fight for them.”
For those interested in ordering, Torok can be reached at 440‑321‑1640 or via email at [email protected].
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
