Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Brangle.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My product is based on a life-long passion for BBQ and smoking meats. I began wondering what it would be like to smoke snack nuts to see if I could create a healthy, all-natural flavor with a unique taste. I built a roasting drum and began playing around with the idea.
I tried a variety of nuts and different kinds of hardwoods and in the end, it was the pistachio flavor that completely changed. I perfected the method and began making them for family and friends. With their encouragement, I started the business. Because the flavor was so unique, I felt I needed a unique name, so Tastachios (Tasty + Pistachios) was born.
To introduce the brand, I started to sell them at small farmers’ markets and local businesses. In 2019, I was accepted to participate as a vendor in the Missouri Botanical Gardens’ Best of Missouri. This was a big opportunity to introduce the brand to a large audience; but I needed to increase my production because what I was doing was labor-intensive and there was no way I would be able to produce enough for that event.
I invested in a commercial-grade smoker and had modifications done to create a customized roaster. This improved my production and the output jumped 8-fold. This put me in a position to approach larger clients.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
COVID made the introduction of the brand challenging. Since farmer’s markets were my opportunity to do that, all were canceled during that pandemic.
This is where I shifted my focus to the wholesale business and the growth in that market really helped. Now it’s the economy and the inflationary pressure for staple goods that are directly affecting my business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The business is a sole proprietor organization and as of now, I am the only employee! I roast, package, ship, design, market, negotiate, build brand awareness through various events, and overall business development. I’m the CEE, chief executive everything!
I am an entrepreneur at heart having started a couple of businesses. This experience has been very helpful.
I have a great-tasting product and to the best of my knowledge, am the only wood-fire roasted snack nut in the marketplace. I am passionate about the Tastachio brand as an all-natural snack and receive great joy in seeing the reaction of those that try them for the first time.
“Oh WOW” is the most common reaction. I’ve had several people tell me that they don’t like pistachios but after trying Tastachios, buy them! I really enjoy that interaction with the public in spreading the good word about my product. There is huge satisfaction and a joy in sampling Tastachios to the public.
On customized roasters, I perfected a wood fire roasting method to create an all-natural flavor that I have not found in any other snack nut. Many have stated that they can’t stop eating them, thus the term “Addictingly Good”.
Tastachios are a great tasting product and I’m very passionate and proud of the business and its potential. Tastachios are a St. Louis made product and we are honored to be included in a long list of innovative food products created in this city.
How do you define success?
Acceptance of the brand is how I define success. Success to me is seeing people try Tastachios, state “Oh WOW” and buy them. I want everyone to try them! The growth in my retail portfolio is a big measure of success as well.
In limited-time collaboration with a national chain, Tastachios were well accepted and the sales were encouraging. This supports our growth objective in becoming a nationally recognized brand. Recently, Whole Foods started carrying Tastachios with the regional buyer stating, “They were a fan favorite, and we could not stop eating them. We look forward to putting them in our stores and think they will do well.” Working with Whole Foods is an incredible opportunity to grow the Tastachio brand. But our success would not be possible without the local support we receive from Dierbergs Markets, many local neighborhood grocers, wine merchants and specialty shops.
Pricing:
- $8.99 – 8oz.
- $3.99 – 3oz.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@tastachios.com
- Website: www.tastachios.com
- Instagram: @tastachios
- Facebook: @tastachios
- Twitter: @tastachios
