LONG BEACH, Calif. — A batch of fruit punch is what houses a jar of sliced tropical punch pickles created by Shontay Burks, the owner of Wut-A-Pickle.

It's a business she founded four years ago, exclusively selling flavored pickles.

"It was an accident really. We were eating a pickle, and we posted on our regular social media page, and pretty much from there somebody was like, 'where did you get the pickle from?' and it became a business," Burks said.

It has become her full-time job. Every day she creates all types of flavors such as green apple, cherry, mango, spicy watermelon pickles, and a whole lot more.

"We have to flavor them," said Burks. "We have to package them. We have to label them and then get them ready for the consumers."

Now in 2020, in the middle of a surging pandemic, she's just opened her first physical location in Long Beach. The lines immediately stretched outside the door at the grand opening. In the parking lot was her pickle truck. Burks said she is proud to be able to employ people in the community at a time when small businesses are struggling to stay alive.

"These are young ladies, some of them from our church, their friends," she said. "So, to be able to actually give them a job during this difficult time, it's a blessing."

The grand opening is extra special because it also happened to be her daughter's birthday. Burks added that she wants Wut-A-Pickle to be a part of the family's legacy.

"I'm teaching her at a young age. She's 5 years old today. So one day, she will be running a Wut-A-Pickle."