Taste Radio

Ghost co-founders Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes always knew they’d be playing the long game. 

Launched in 2016, Ghost markets sports nutrition powders and energy drinks known for their indulgent candy- and snack-based flavors. Lourenco and Hughes say that, at the outset, there was no singular vision or plan for Ghost. Rather, they started with a question: “How far can we take this?”

Created as a lifestyle brand centered around fun and inclusivity, Ghost attracts a broad demographic of consumers, from gamers and fitness enthusiasts to shift workers and students. Listening to, learning from and constantly interacting with their customers has helped Ghost build a thriving direct-to-consumer business along with a retail network that includes over 60,000 stores. 

That footprint has grown significantly since 2020, when Ghost introduced its energy drink line. Developed in partnership with beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), the products are expected to generate over $100 million in sales this year, according to Lourenco.

In this episode, Lourenco and Hughes spoke about the origins of Ghost and how they identified an opportunity to attract new consumers to the sport nutrition category via licensed flavors, including Oreo, Sour Patch Kids and Warheads, along with engaging video and social media. They also explained why learning about how consumers shop is key to their sales and marketing strategy, why their emphasis on transparency extends beyond product labels, how a cold email dramatically changed the trajectory of their business and how they are gradually becoming more comfortable with success.

Show notes:

0:45: Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, Co-Founders, Ghost – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif spoke with Lourenco and Hughes about the former’s experience at the 2022 NACS Show, why they view Las Vegas as good place to incubate a brand and why ROI is not a primary factor in the development and production of Ghost’s behind-the-scenes web series. They also discussed why Ghost was built as a lifestyle brand “from day one,” how licensing deals have become the driver for flavor innovation, why most of the functional ingredients in Ghost products are intended for only 1% of their consumers and how they thoughtfully coordinated the company’s partnership with ABI. 

Brands in this episode: Ghost Lifestyle, Mid-Day Squares

How do you wield considerable social influence to authentically promote a consumer brand? That’s the central question facing the five co-owners of JAJA Tequila, who collectively have nearly 40 million followers across several social media platforms. 

Self-described as “the first tequila created for the digital generation,” JAJA was founded in 2018 by entrepreneurs Martin Hoffstein, Maurice Tebele and brother Elliot Tebele, the latter of whom is best known as the creator of popular Instagram meme account,  @f__kjerry. JAJA is also co-owned by Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, who form globally renowned electronic DJ duo The Chainsmokers.

Leveraging their social capital and fame to promote JAJA has helped the brand achieve triple-digit growth year-over-year and outpace the overall category for premium tequila, according to the company. JAJA’s resonance with younger consumers attracted the attention of international spirits distributor Proximo Spirits, which signed a production and global distribution deal with the brand in 2021.

In this episode, Maurice Tebele and Hoffstein spoke about how they evaluated the opportunity to launch a digital-centric tequila brand, why they describe JAJA as “an anti-celeb brand” and how “subtle integration” is the key to their social media strategy. They also explained how a risque and edgy social marketing strategy has benefited the brand, how they elicit the best out of their respective skill sets and how they determined that Proximo would be the right strategic partner for the company.

Show notes:

0:45: Maurice Tebele and Martin Hoffstein, Co-Founders, JAJA Tequila – Tebele and Hoffstein spoke with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif about the why, in a tequila category brimming with actor and musician founders, they position JAJA as “the celebrity,” as well as the impact of visiting Jalisco, Mexico on the brand’s development, the origins of the name and label design and two topics they consistently avoid in JAJA’s social media posts. They also discussed how the company works with The Chainsmokers to authentically incorporate JAJA into their work and social accounts and how the company’s relationship with Proximo Spirits gives it greater production and distribution power, but keeps the strategic company at arm’s length in other aspects of the business.

Brands in this episode: JAJA Tequila, TRUFF

This episode features an interview with Marshall Rabil, the co-owner of specialty peanut brand Hubs, who spoke about the brand’s efforts to reach younger consumers and the duality of his roles as a steward and modernizer of his family’s business. Also, the hosts discussed the news that Bang Energy has filed for bankruptcy and why innovative entrepreneurs are often hamstrung by their own achievements.

Show notes:

0:49: The Best Of October Deadlines. Jack’s Been Here Before. Expo East And Todd’s Dilemma. – Ray was a bit hoarse, but reminded Mike of Man U’s prowess and the hosts collectively reminded listeners of upcoming deadlines to submit applications for BevNET and NOSH’s Best of 2022 awards along with those for the latest editions of the New Beverage Showdown and NOSH Pitch Slam. They also chatted about how NOSH Live Winter 2022 will offer entrepreneurs a direct connection with investors and other industry leaders and John explained why beverage professionals should be wary of underestimating Jack Owoc and celebrating recent challenges affecting Bang Energy. Later, they offered praise for “shimmering water” brand Loftiwater, while noting the uphill battle it faces and highlighted a few notable new products, including better-for-you candy, buckwheat snacks and breakfast biscuits.

33:00: Interview: Marshall Rabil, Co-Owner, Hubs – Rabil met with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif at BevNET headquarters in Newton, where they riffed on the seafood scene in Massachusetts and Virginia before discussing the origins of the peanut industry in the U.S. and how Hubs has become the standard bearer for specialty peanuts. Rabil also spoke about the company’s evolving retail strategy, how new products, brand partnerships and creative marketing initiatives are attracting new consumers, how pricing reflects quality and the elements of Hubs’ effective trial strategy.

Brands in this episode: Hubs, Pop & Bottle, Bang Energy, La Colombe, Loftiwater, Wholly Veggie, Smart Sweets, Tid Bits, Oomph, Liquid Death, Brazi Bites, Nitro Beverage Co., Lil Bucks, NuttZo, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Jackson’s Chips, Paqui, Kanira, Olyra

It’s one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial beverage brands in recent memory, but while Super Coffee appears to be sprinting towards an exit, brothers and co-founders Jim, Jake and Jordan DeCicco often say that they’re just getting warmed up. 

In the seven years since Jordan created the brand in his college dorm room, Super Coffee has become a significant player in the multi-billion dollar RTD coffee category. Over the past two years, the company has ramped up distribution via a partnership with beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev and fueled an expansion into new retail channels supported by a $106 million Series C funding round completed at a valuation of $500 million. Earlier this year, Super Coffee announced its foray into energy drinks with Super Energy, a line of premium sparkling beverages made with natural ingredients.

While the brand continues to be on a positive trajectory, operational challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and an increasingly rigid M&A environment for beverage brands have required the DeCicco brothers to reconsider and revise parts of their business, including  Super Coffee’s core line of products.

In an interview featured as part of Taste Radio’s live podcast and meetup event in Austin, which was held in September, the DeCicco brothers spoke about how shifting headwinds have influenced recent business decisions, the impact of Covid on innovation and what they learned from being on the front lines of distribution and merchandising since the outset of the pandemic. They also explained the value of being “the world’s foremost experts on Super Coffee” and how they communicate exit planning to the Super Coffee team.

Show notes:

0:45: Jim, Jake & Jordan DeCicco, Co-Founders, Super Coffee – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif shared his admiration for the Super Coffee office and asked the DeCicco brothers to express their seven years in business in a single word.  Jim spoke about how the team assesses when and how to ask for advice,  Jordan discussed their process for adding a strategic advisor or investor to the company and Jake explained why Super Coffee extended the brand into energy drinks. Later, the brothers spoke about the brand’s shift toward indulgent flavors and why there was (and continues to be) some disagreement about their blueberry muffin variety,  their belief that “our job starts after the product gets on shelves” and why maximizing value for the company’s investors and partners is the key to an optimal exit.

Brands in this episode: Super Coffee, Bai, Honest Tea, Zico, Celsius

When evaluating funding pitches, Touch Capital founder and CEO Anna-Lena Kamenetzky doesn’t pull any punches. 

Her straightforward style is shaped by over two decades of global experience as a brand operator and board director at multinational companies, including Keurig Dr. Pepper and JAB Holding Company. She’s helped incubate and build billion-dollar brands, and understands what it takes to succeed in the highly competitive food and beverage industries.

That perspective guides the vision and funding strategy for Touch Capital, a recently launched venture capital firm led by Kamenetzky that invests in consumer brands across food, beverage, pet and personal care. Touch Capital was founded on the thesis that CPG conglomerates “will continue to need to ‘buy-in’ innovation through strategic acquisitions.” By leveraging their collective operational experience, Kamenetzky and her team support portfolio company founders, including those of fast-growing brands Super Coffee, Lesser Evil and Catalina Crunch, by bringing “buyers'-side experience to the builders.”

We spoke with Kamenetzky during Taste Radio’s live podcast and meetup event in Austin, where she discussed the formation of Touch Capital, how global trends help inform the firm’s investments, how she evaluates innovative brands and their scaling potential, and the impact of a talent shift towards entrepreneurship. She also explained why investor feedback and input only works “if it's a pull and not a push,” how founders can mitigate risks for investors and offered a candid perspective on trendy concepts, ingredients and food and beverage categories.

Show notes:

0:45: Interview: Anna-Lena Kamenetzky, Founder & CEO, Touch Capital – Kamenetzky and Taste Radio editor Ray Latif chatted about Miami’s entrepreneurial food and beverage community before discussing how her experience as a beverage operator and an observer of global trends has impacted her perspective as an investor. She also discussed the value of entrepreneurs with prior industry experience, why an “‘A” idea doesn’t work with a “C” team, how she identifies potential for mainstream appeal in early-stage brands, and why “can they pull it off?” is a key question in how she evaluated founders and their plans. Later, she shared her take on notable trends, ingredients and emerging categories, including keto, gut health, cannabis and RTD cocktails.

Brands in this episode: Super Coffee, immi 

On location at Natural Products Expo East 2022, the hosts shared their respective takes on standout products and brands exhibited during the first two days of the annual trade show, which is  being held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The roundup highlights several brands that are using better-for-you, innovative and plant-based ingredients to disrupt legacy food and beverage categories.

Show notes:

0:39: Getting The Band Back Together. Everyone Loves Bryan Adams. What Can’t You Milk? – Former BevNET brand specialist Melissa Traverse returns the show as a special guest co-host, and it’s as if no time has passed. The hosts applauded the launch of and team behind Just Ice Tea, riffed on notable brands exhibited at Expo East’s Harvest Festival and debated whether Mike should be whispering about brownies. Later, Melissa named her “plant-based milk of the show,” Ray’s praised a pouch-packaged soup brand and John highlighted several premium sparkling tea brands.

Brands in this episode: Eat The Change, Just Ice Tea, Munchrooms, Lupii, Good Food For Good, Spero Foods, Supplant Co., Dalci, Elmhurst Naturals, Nitro Beverage Co., Small Batch Organics, bettermoo(d)   Milk, Rip Van, I Eat My Greens, Pocket Latte, Fabalish, Sarilla, Tama Tea, Reishi Sparkling Botanicals, Inner Love Foods, Aqua ViTea, Eastern Standard Provisions, Fila Manila, Nara Foods, Oat Haus, Caulipower, Joolies, Chubby Snacks, Lil Bucks, Oba Snacks

The letter “p” carries special significance for Maxime Pouvreau. His last name, of course, begins with “p,” as does his company, Petit Pot, a producer of single-serve premium puddings that, according to the brand’s website, are “potted to perfection.” However, it’s Petit Pot’s focus on profitability that Pouvreau points to with particular pride.

A former pastry chef at Michelin starred restaurants, Pouvreau launched Petit Pot in 2014. The brand markets “pot de creme,” a traditional French pudding known for its sweet and creamy texture, in 3.5 oz. glass jars and typically sold in packs of two. Made with organic ingredients, the puddings are available in several flavors, including dark chocolate, lemon and butterscotch, and are also available in plant-based varieties.

In the years since its debut, the brand has charted a careful growth strategy focused on strong unit economics and a lean production model. That strategy has paid off, and today the brand’s puddings are distributed in over 6,000 retail locations, including Whole Foods, Safeway and Costco. Petit Pot is expected to generate $17 million in sales by the end of the year. 

In this episode, Pouvreau spoke about his initial vision for Petit Pot and why he has stressed frugality and cautious spending since the beginning. He also explained how the hire of an experienced operations executive and planning strategy helped the company scale production and achieve profitability and how being ahead of the curve on permissible indulgence has benefited its development.

Show notes:

0:45: Interview: Maxime Pouvreau, Founder, Petit Pot – Povvreau met with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif in Austin, Texas where they riffed on the entrepreneur's previous career as a pastry chef before discussing Petit Pot’s partnership with UNSTUCK and the company’s work with the Women On Boards (WOB) Project. They also discussed how the brand gradually built a national presence at Whole Foods, aligning short-term execution with a long-term planning strategy, why “watching every dime” enabled the company to become profitable and why his decision to hire a COO was a game changer. Later, he explained why self-manufacturing gives the brand a significant advantage, how he considers innovation, why great taste is the best way to build consumer loyalty and the elements of Petit Pot's upcoming rebrand.

Brands in this episode: Petit Pot

In this episode, Taste Radio’s hosts reflected on recent networking and live podcast events at BevNET’s San Diego office and Super Coffee headquarters in Austin. They also addressed an often asked question from early-stage entrepreneurs and highlighted a few unusual products before Jacqui Brugliera took on one of the hottest of challenges.

Show notes:

0:39: So Great To See You, Even For 10 Seconds. Support With Scaling. All Hell Breaks Loose. –  Ray admits to an issue with intros before the hosts chatted about conversations and connections from last week’s meetup events. They also offered advice on scaling strategies, riffed on a marshmallow-flavored bourbon, functional spices and a new mood-centric beverage line. Later, Jacqui took on Paqui’s one-chip challenge, eliciting sweat, tears and screams… among all the hosts.

Brands in this episode: Paqui, Super Coffee, Marquis Beverage, Good Sunday, Recoup Wellness, Pocket Latte, Seoul Juice, Courtside Beverages, Somi Energy, Kimbala, Petit Pot, Shmallow, Spicewell, Kentucky 74, Vybes, Honey Mama’s

When Junea Rocha launched Brazi Bites in 2010, she thought its success would hinge on being a first-to-market brand of frozen traditional Brazilian cheese bread. Fortunately, she was wrong.

Despite launching just a few weeks after another similarly positioned product, Brazi Bites has since developed into a household name. A major inflection point came in 2015 when the brand gained national recognition following an appearance on the ABC show “Shark Tank.” Within 12 months of the episode airing, annual sales surged from $1 million to $8 million. The cheese bread is now sold at more than 16,000 stores nationwide including those of Whole Foods, Target, Costco, Wegmans, Publix, Kroger and Sprouts. 

In 2018, investment firm San Francisco Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in Brazi Bites after which Rocha transitioned from CEO to CMO and helped direct the company’s foray into several other food categories, including empanadas, pizza bites and breakfast sandwiches, all of which are based on the brand’s original cheese bread dough.

In this episode, Rocha spoke about the value of peer mentorship, getting up to speed as a food entrepreneur and how she’s utilizing her experience and resources to support early stage Latin business owners. She also discussed how Brazi Bites managed production challenges following its appearance on “Shark Tank,” the company’s thoughtful innovation strategy and how she and her co-founder/husband Cameron MacMullin evaluated potential equity partners and decided to sell a majority stake of their business.

Show notes:

0:45: Interview: Junea Rocha, Co-Founder, Brazi Bites – Rocha spoke with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif about the launch and mission of her Latino Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, why her advisory network was critical to Brazi Bites’ formative years and how entrepreneurs should consider the pros and cons of self-manufacturing. She also explained why appearing on “Shark Tank” was a double-edged sword, why innovative brands need to scale quickly or risk being left behind and why consumer trial has been the key to consistent growth. Later, she discussed how the launch of new products such as pizza bites is introducing Americans to the brand’s cheese bread and why she describes herself as “the opposite” of entrepreneurs that are great at raising money.

Brands in this episode: Brazi Bites

Chitra Agrawal had no experience in CPG prior to launching Brooklyn Delhi in 2014. Nevertheless, she has built the brand of Indian-inspired pantry staples into an admired and profitable company that generates millions of dollars in annual revenue. As remarkable as those accomplishments might seem, they weren't goals when she started out.

The daughter of immigrants, Agrawal envisioned Brooklyn Delhi as a brand that could connect Americans to authentic Indian cuisine through products rooted in culture and designed for modern consumers. 

The brand’s flagship product is achaar, a staple Indian condiment made from pickled ingredients and is often prepared spicy. Chitra developed her own recipe for achaar, one that eventually caught the attention of a Whole Foods global buyer and also meal kit company Blue Apron, both of which became key partners in the brand’s rise to national prominence.

Brooklyn Delhi has since expanded its product offerings to include simmer sauces like its Golden Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce and Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce, as well as condiments including Curry Ketchup, Curry Mustard, and Guntur Sannam Hot Sauce. The products are sold in natural and specialty retailers across the U.S., online and via foodservice.

In this episode, Agrawal spoke about her vision for achaar as a pantry staple in American homes, the influence of her popular blog in the early development of Brooklyn Delhi, why consumer education requires patience and how she leveraged the brand’s strengths to win over Whole Foods. She also explained why the company has no outside investors, why profitability has always been top of mind, creating favorable contracts with co-manufacturers and how an omni-channel sales strategy has benefited the company.

Show notes:

0:45: Chitra Agrawal, Founder & CEO, Brooklyn Delhi – Agrawal spoke with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif  about her recent transition from Brooklyn to the suburbs and the benefits of having a bigger kitchen and gave a primer on achaar and its versatility in cooking. She also explained why she is frustrated with Trader Joe’s, how she incorporated her personal story into the brand, why she didn’t pay herself a salary  for the first four years of the business and how a remarkable meeting with a Whole Foods buyer changed  the brand’s fortunes. Later, she discussed Brooklyn Delhi's partnership with Blue Apron, why she has  been adamant about not taking outside capital and how thoughtful planning and ingredient sourcing is key to the company’s operational strategy.

Brands in this episode: Brooklyn Delhi