At Marcus Bar & Grille in Old Fourth Ward, Duke’s Real Mayonnaise is a must-have for certain recipes. Though chef Gary Caldwell sometimes makes mayo from scratch, the well-known Southern brand has the desired texture and flavor for a lot of his menu items, such as deviled eggs and shrimp salad.
“It’s processed, so it keeps things stabilized,” Caldwell said.
Ownership of Duke’s Real Mayonnaise hasn’t been quite as stable lately. The most recent sale was in February 2025 to Northern-based private equity firm Advent International, which bought the parent company, Sauer Brands.
Until now, Duke’s has been a staunchly Southern food. Its history dates back to 1917, when Eugenia Thomas Duke sold sandwiches featuring her homemade mayonnaise to soldiers at Camp Sevier in Greenville, South Carolina.
Credit: Sauer Brands
Credit: Sauer Brands
Feedback was enthusiastic, leading her to set up in restaurants and shops. Then she heeded her salesperson C.B. Boyd’s suggestion to forget sandwiches and focus on the secret sauce.
By 1929, business was booming. Eugenia Duke sold her brand to the C.F. Sauer Co. based in Richmond, Virginia. It remained there 90 years until Sauer Brands was acquired by Falfurrias Capital Partners, an investment firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2019.
And this year, the Sauer portfolio was sold yet again with one important change: While Duke’s is manufactured in Mauldin, South Carolina, its owner, Advent International, is headquartered in Boston.
What does that mean for the future of the Southern delicacy?
According to Advent International, who responded to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s questions with an email from an unnamed spokesperson, there are no plans to change anything about Duke’s mayo, including the Sauer brand name.
Credit: Colonial Studio
Credit: Colonial Studio
“We intend to preserve the integrity and quality of Duke’s, a recipe beloved by its consumers that has been unchanged since 1917,” the email stated.
“We’ve been following Sauer for some time because of its record of delivering quality and delight to consumers, including through the beloved Duke’s mayo. We’re passionate about products like Duke’s because they have earned such a loyal following.”
But some enthusiasts of the condiment are skeptical.
Robert Butts, executive chef and co-owner of Auburn Angel in the Sweet Auburn district, described the sale as “hurtful.”
“I’m from southwest Atlanta, born and raised,” he said. “My mom and grandma use Duke’s for sandwiches, and I use it here (in the restaurant) and at home, too. For me, this was sad news.”
Atlanta mail carrier Luther Zachery, a big consumer of Duke’s mayo, said he will be on guard for alterations in the flavor.
“The Famous Amos cookie brand was purchased by larger companies (from founder Wally Amos), and now they are terrible,” he said. “I love Duke’s for sandwiches and potato salad, but if it changes, I’m not messing with it anymore.”
Credit: Sauer Brands
Credit: Sauer Brands
So, what makes Duke’s so special? Its ingredients include soybean oil, egg yolks, water, distilled and cider vinegar, spices and calcium disodium EDTA, a preservative to prevent oxidation and discoloration.
Most enthusiasts of the brand prefer the savory, tangy taste and the fact that Duke’s does not contain any sugar — unlike competitors Hellman’s and Blue Plate, two brands with similar ingredients.
Plenty of folks, including Aliyah Jefferson, owner of Zaddy’s Sammiches in Colony Square, aren’t concerned about the change of ownership. She will continue using Duke’s for various mayo-based sauces and spreads, including the Caesar dressing on her popular Chicken Caesar Zaddy.
“The origin story is not as important as quality,” she said. “And everything now is a melting pot — I am from New Jersey and created a sandwich shop in Atlanta. I don’t see Duke’s changing hands as that big of a threat.”
Terry Koval agrees. The chef and owner of three Decatur restaurants — Deer and Dove, B-Side Bagels and Fawn — is a Detroit native who has lived in Atlanta for 20 years. He uses Duke’s mayonnaise at all three of his restaurants — as well as in his home kitchen — and says the sale won’t change that.
“Any time I need mayo, Duke’s is the one,” he said. “I love the brand and flavor. I don’t feel betrayed. So many companies get sold over and over.”
Still, Butts isn’t so sure. “I might just make my own; I’m a loyal guy,” he said.
One thing is for certain. Advent sees potential in the brand.
“Even with its success to date, we believe Sauer Brands ― and Duke’s ― is still in the early innings of growth,” the company email stated.
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