🛒 Retail Rollouts
🥤 Bumpin Blends expands retail reach at Walmart
Bumpin Blends, founded by Lisa Eberly Mastela, has expanded its Smoothie Cubes to nearly 1,500 Walmart stores nationwide. After a year of hard work and daily learning, the brand celebrates this milestone as a testament to its team’s perseverance. Lisa thanked Kristin Aschoff, MBA, for taking a chance on the small business, and Samantha Link for her continuous support. Customers can now find Bumpin Blends in stores and are encouraged to share their purchases on social media, hinting at more exciting retail announcements ahead.
🍍 Pitaya Foods' new smoothie pops hit Walmart stores
Pitaya Foods, founded by Chuck Casano, has launched three kid-developed Super Fruit Smoothie Pops at over 2,000 Walmart locations. Inspired by Chuck’s children, who helped create the recipes, these smoothie pops use only five ingredients and feature a blend of fruits and veggies. Seeing his kids’ creations on store shelves has been a proud moment for Chuck, marking a significant retail achievement for the brand.
🥞 Belgian Boys' pancakes arrive at H-E-B stores across Texas
Belgian Boys’ Bite-Sized Pancakes, co-founded by Joel Davidovici and Greg Galel, are now available at H-E-B stores across Texas. The brand invites customers to use its store locator to find these quick and delicious breakfast options nearby, perfect for those looking for an easy start to their day.
🍲 Hotpot Queen launches at World Market for the holiday season
Hotpot Queen, founded by Jia Liao, will launch five products at 260 World Market locations this holiday season, marking a significant milestone for the brand. After debuting at Expo West, the partnership grew from a coffee-spilled conversation to an incredible opportunity. Now, Hotpot Queen’s offerings will highlight the flavors of Sichuan cuisine, adding a spicy touch to holiday celebrations.
🥟 Laoban Dumplings now available at Target
Laoban Dumplings, co-founded by J. Patrick Coyne and Tim Ma, have officially launched at select Target stores nationwide. The team expressed gratitude to everyone who played a role in making this retail placement possible, marking a new chapter for the brand’s dumplings as they reach more customers across the country.
🍍 RIND Snacks expands flavors to Whole Foods nationwide
RIND Snacks, founded by Matt Weiss, has expanded its Straw-Peary, Cocoa Berry REMIX, and Piña Colada REMIX flavors to all Whole Foods Market locations across the U.S. This nationwide launch aims to make their healthier, peel-based snacks more accessible, and the brand is excited to see which flavors will become customer favorites coast-to-coast.
🍫 Soom Foods launches its Snack Bites at Whole Foods across the Mid-Atlantic region
Soom Foods, co-founded by Amy, Shelby, and Jaclyn Zitelman, has launched its new Snack Bites line at Whole Foods Market in the Mid-Atlantic, featuring flavors like Double Chocolate, Cherry Chocolate, and Maple Coconut in the snacks aisle. This new product debut brings Soom’s tahini-based Snack Bites to Whole Foods stores in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and select locations in New Jersey, where they join other “functional” snacks like Gimme Seaweed and Biena Snacks. Crafted from simple, real ingredients such as dates, tahini, and oats, these soft and chewy snacks offer a convenient and nutritious choice for on-the-go breakfasts or in-between meal snacks. This marks Soom’s first brick-and-mortar placement for its Snack Bites, and the company hopes the launch will drive excitement and expand the product’s availability into new regions.
🚀 New Product Launch
🍬 BEHAVE Candy introduces Super Sour Skulls
BEHAVE Candy, founded by Mayssa Chehata, introduced a limited edition Super Sour Skulls SKU with bold flavors like Grapefruit, Tangerine, and Yuzu. The launch campaign, “For Sour Lovers Only,” played creatively on the “lovers” theme across visuals, messaging, and even a teaser video inspired by the film “Requiem for a Dream,” making it one of Mayssa’s favorite projects to date.
🍪 Fancypants launches spicier Ginger Snap cookies
Fancypants, founded by Maura Duggan, launched a spicier version of its classic Ginger Snap cookies this October, inspired by the founder’s childhood memories. Crafted with real spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove, the cookies are a nod to Maura’s grandmother, who always kept a jar of Ginger Snaps at home. Available online and in select retailers, Fancypants hopes to gauge consumer demand to make this seasonal flavor a year-round staple.
🤝 Brand Partnerships
💧 Liquid Death teams up with OpenFortune for a fun collab
Liquid Death, founded by Mike Cessario, partnered with OpenFortune to deliver darkly humorous fortune cookies as part of Chinese food orders in LA and NY. The collaboration showcases the brand’s edgy humor, crafted by their talented team of writers, making this a unique and memorable way to engage with fans.
🎉 News to Celebrate
🍹 Ghia's Melanie Masarin speaks at Inc. 5000 conference
Melanie Masarin, founder of Ghia, spoke about her brand at the Inc. 5000 conference alongside Nicolas Jammet of Sweetgreen, moderated by Mike Hofman. Sharing insights on building Ghia, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss her journey with one of her favorite entrepreneurs and an engaged audience.
🧋 Twrl Milk Tea featured in The Associated Press
Twrl Milk Tea, co-founded by Pauline Ang and Olivia Chen, went viral for their Dragon’s Den Style pitch after Simu Liu sparks cultural appropriation debate. Twrl Milk Tea was recently featured in The Associated Press, sharing its journey from a pandemic project to a beloved beverage. The founders expressed their gratitude for the coverage, which allowed them to highlight their passion for creating a product that celebrates their love for milk tea.
🏆 Essie's Heart Healthy DELISH honored with family business award
Essie’s Heart Healthy DELISH, founded by Itiona Scott, was honored as the “2024 Family Business of the Year” by the UBAPA foundation. The unexpected recognition brought Itiona to tears during her keynote speech, as she dedicated the achievement to her team and faith, celebrating the brand’s success and commitment to family values.