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Chris Kirby is the Founder and CEO of Ithaca Hummus. He grew up in the Baltimore area in the late 80s and early 90s, and despite the popularity of processed food at that time, he was drawn to the concept of real food at a very early age. He ended up attending culinary school where he developed a strong passion for influencing people through his food, which fueled a subsequent seven-year career as a chef.
In 2013, Chris left the restaurant business and started selling fresh hummus at the Ithaca Farmers Market. Six months after launching, Wegmans discovered Ithaca Hummus and decided to put it into their Ithaca store and it ended up being an instant success.
Chris Kirby talks about his career as a chef and why he chose to start selling hummus at the Farmers Market.
What is a hummu and what flavors does Chris’ brand carry?
Chris recalls how Wegman connected with his company and how he got his products into other retail stores.
Chris explains how he handled the growth, inventory, cash flow and costs for his business.
How Chris built his team and moved to a bigger commercial facility.
Chris’ involvement with No Kid Hungry and Chefs Cycle.
Why Chris decided to stop selling his products directly on his website and how he found a distributor.
The future plans for Ithaca Hummus.
How Chris got into selling in Publix and his current geographical reach.
How Ithaca Hummus products are promoted.
Chris' advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a brand.
Chris Kirby has always been drawn to good, real food from an early age so much so that he ended up taking Culinary Arts and pursuing a career as a chef. But seven years into his culinary career, he decided that the restaurant lifestyle was not for him. This decision to move out of the kitchen and step into the business side of the culinary world led him to selling hummus at the Ithaca Farmers Market in 2013.
Chris Kirby believes that a brand is a mirror reflection of its founder and so he has worked hard to be as authentic as possible in his business. From selling his hummus at the Ithaca Farmers Market, Chris has grown his brand, Ithaca Hummus, to be the fastest-growing brand in its category and is now available in over 5000 stores including major retailers such as Publix, Whole Foods, Target, Hannaford, and Wegmans.
Join G. Steven Cleere in this episode of NexxtLevel Brands Podcast as he interviews Chris Kirby of Ithaca Hummus about his transition from being a chef to running and growing his own business. Chris talks about the early start of his company, how he was able to adapt to the fast-growing demand and scaling up to a large commercial facility, getting his products on the shelves of top retail stores, and his advice to budding entrepreneurs looking to grow their own brand. Stay tuned.
Frank Cavallaro, COO of Ithaca Hummus
Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth.
Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.
Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands.
Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.
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