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Chomps’ growth trajectory in the crowded category of healthy snacking has been somewhat unprecedented.
Last year, Chomps’ sales growth increased 206%, and it expects to surpass that number this year, according to the company.
Meat Stick Maker offers snacks in a variety of flavors, including venison, beef, turkey, and chicken-based Italian, taco, pepperoni, and smoky barbecue. Each chew contains 10 to 12 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar.
Co-founder Pete Maldonado started the company as a side job in 2012 while working as a personal trainer. Maldonado and co-founder Rashid Ali were looking for an on-the-go protein option that was free of sugar and preservatives.
The idea percolated during a poker game when the two, now co-CEOs, were at a mutual friend’s apartment in Chicago and they began talking about guilt.
Maldonado, who grew up on Long Island, thought of the popular beef jerky he would buy as a snack at gas stations and 7-Elevens. But that version was full of added sugar and high levels of saturated fat.
Chomps changed that story. The company’s main ingredients are: Grass-fed beef and spices
With these clean ingredients, the company America’s fastest growing snack food brandAccording to data collected by Numbererator.
Last month, Chomps announced a manufacturing plant in Mexico City, Missouri, scheduled to open in 2025. New developments are part of a long history. Partnership with Western Smokehouse PartnersIn fact, it’s he who helped the healthy snack brand develop its recipes in the early days.
New Chief Financial Officer Tim Bosslet said Chomps is focused on driving trials through its next phase of growth. The company wants more people to try its products as well as its category.
What Chomps Got Right
As consumers seek high-protein and low-sugar food options, Bosslet said other companies have missed the mark when it comes to communicating the authenticity of their brands.
“We’ve always been a sugar-free, Whole30, keto-friendly company,” he told Food Dive. “This is not a trend of launching a specific line of products without sugar. This is who we are.”
Bosslet, who took on the newly added top executive role last week after being promoted from senior director of finance, said this gave the brand an edge in terms of consumer trust.
As healthier snack options become increasingly popular, and with more consumers looking for particularly high-protein options, many large food companies have been working to add these products to their portfolios.
For example, PepsiCo recently agreed to acquire Siete Foods, a maker of better tortilla chips, for $1.2 billion. This purchase will allow PepsiCo to provide consumers with healthier chips, dips and sauces using cleaner ingredients. Some fans of Siete are worried that the brand’s integrity will be lost.
Bosslet says Chomps sticks to its brand of being a high-quality source of protein and low in sugar. “Consumers are attracted to the simplicity of who we are and that’s what makes us known and trusted,” Bosslet said.
The CFO position is a new position for the company, but Bosslet said the addition is more about providing the necessary infrastructure for the company than anything else.
“As we continue to scale, things like funding, planning and reporting will need to become more formalized,” he said. “This is just a byproduct of our continued growth.”
next steps
Bosslet said it would focus on its core consumers, core products and core channels as it seeks its next phase of growth.
Although there is still plenty of room left for the company, including international store expansion and convenience store expansion, his focus will continue to be on attracting new consumers to the brand and the overall healthy snack category.
Currently, the company’s core demographic skews female, Bosslet said. However, this has led many families to start eating Chomps, and many mothers have purchased the product to put in their children’s lunch boxes.
“Another reason we can reach new consumers is that we are not a disposable product.” He said, “We are a meal replacement, meal supplement, and snack.”
