How to Make the Most of Expo West as an Emerging CPG Brand | Little Latke, Gato Dates & Hola Mija Chips

0:09Hey everybody, it's Caitlin Bricker, Managing Editor at Startup CPG. You are in for a treat today because today we are talking to three different brands who had different but very successful experiences at Expo West and through Startup CPG's offerings throughout the Expo West week. So today we are talking to Taylor Blue from Little Latka. She's going to share her experience being part of the Startup CPG section at Expo West. We're going to talk to Gato Dates, who's going to share their experience being at Alley Rally and being the winner for the 2027 Startup CPG booth at Expo West. And we're going to talk to Jesse Suarez from Hola Miha Chips, who's going to share his experience taking part in one-on-one meetings at Expo West and at other shows.

0:57I think you all have something to learn from this. And my advice to you is keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities from this community. You will not regret it. All right, buckle in, take notes. Let's do this. Hey, everybody, welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast. This is Caitlin and today I'm here with Taylor Blue, founder of Little Latka. Taylor, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. I am really happy to have you here. I did not make it to Expo West and I am really having some FOMO about it. It sounded like it was a great time. I feel like this is something that we lead up to the entire year and then it happens and then we start preparing for it again.

1:40So I want to hear more about you and your brand. I want to hear about your experience at Expo because this can be the opportunity where brands go from a very small name to a household name. So before we get into it, tell me what Little Latka is. Yeah, and you were very much missed at Expo. But I am Taylor, the founder of Little Latka, and we are the first shelf-stable potato crisp that's inspired by a traditional potato latka. So we're truly inspired by the crispy edges that naturally fall off of that traditional potato latka. But yeah, we're just wrapped up into a crunchy snack. And they are So good.

2:18I would prefer Little Vodka over a traditional potato chip any day. And I have the OG flavor. And I understand you had some surprises for everyone in store at Expo. Can you tell us what happened on the floor? Yeah, it was also our first time exhibiting, but we exclusively not only launched our new and improved formula at Expo, but as well as our two new flavors. So that was super exciting and I think really drew people in and wanted them to learn more and also allowed them to really provide feedback. What was the feedback that you got on the show for? Can you share some with us? Yeah, people are new and improved formula is non-GMO and seed oil free.

2:57And people obviously really loved that we were using avocado oil. And we're really happy to see that. Honestly, people really love the new flavors. It was very 50-50, which was awesome. What flavors did you drop? Garlic Parmesan and spicy honey Dijon. Oh my God, that sounds so good. Yeah, they were inspired because of how well we do in like the deli scene. And people enjoy us on charcuterie boards. So they really cater, those flavors really cater to those scenes. Those would go so well in a sandwich too, not just next to, but in. I'm getting some ideas right now. I think that's the top way that I enjoy our product is shoving them inside, specifically my turkey sandwich.

3:35That's perfect. Okay, so we know a little bit about your brand now. So tell me why Expo West and why did you choose to be in the startup CPG section? Yeah, we spent what we thought was going to be six months, but it ended up being a year improving our formula and just overall our production process. But Expo West was necessary to really build that momentum back up that after being paused for a bit, and it really, truly set the tone for our year, as well as not only showcasing the new formula, but the new flavors. and specifically the Startup CBG section, because I really find that the energy that comes through the Startup CBG section that I've witnessed before is really different.

4:16Buyers, anyone that's walking the show floor just is excited to see what's new coming to market. And they just, yeah, it's more excited energy. I love it. And what is your after expo life look like right now? Busy. In the best way possible, I can confidently say we secured some really awesome accounts because of Expo. Again, it truly set the tone for our year, and I couldn't have been more excited and confident that we showcased. Did you feel like you were getting very targeted people approaching your booth? Like, did it feel like it was very heavy with buyers, people walking by your booth? I know you kind of, not you specifically, but I know a lot of people are looking for that specific color on the badge.

5:03So looking for those retailer badges, did you feel like there were a lot of retailers coming by versus other exhibitors, service providers, etc.? Yeah, I feel like buyers, especially in the first two days, were really heavily walking there. I think they, again, felt like it was a breath of fresh air. I think some of the other areas of the show can be very chaotic and still great. But because our floor and specifically our section were new upcoming products that just hit the market, I think buyers just had a great energy about them. And they came by. It wasn't just a sample grab and go. I think going into Expo, I thought there was just in general, anyone walking the floor, there was going to be that energy of a sample and go.

5:44But I love that people wanted to stick around and not just learn more about what is this product, but learn more about the brand and where we're at right now on our journey. I think a question that we hear often from founders, especially first-time founders for Expo, because it's the biggest show in the industry. I don't know exactly how many people attended this year, but I want to say it was like 70 ,000 and it could have been more than that. But I feel like that's the baseline. How many samples did you bring for Little Laika? I brought around like 10 ,000 samples because I was like safe than sorry.

6:16And I'm so glad I did because there was people that were circling back after the show was closing on the last day and were like, hey, I came back specifically because I want to take some home. So I was really glad that I was I had enough to be able to do that. There were some people that were coming from out of the country and they were like, I can't get these back home. I want to take them with me. So that's how many I brought. And it definitely ended up being probably a little too much. But But yeah, I was glad I did. I'm so curious when I ask that question to people because it's hard to give an answer.

6:47And I think it is very dependent on where you are on the show floor as well. But I think we're very well positioned. So thank you, New Hope, for our section. Yeah, that was one of the things that I think, you know, going into Expo, there's so many uncertainties, especially as a first time exhibitor. And that was one of them. It's all over the board. Like you said, brands do something differently. I think it just really comes down to how you're sampling your product. totally and anything that you had a hesitation about as a first-time expo exhibitor that now you feel like oh i didn't have to worry about that or i would do this differently next year i think going into expo it's definitely a big investment as a new brand and there were certain things that you're like okay is this one worth it there's so many things that can add up with expo and i think like as a new brand you really just have to pick and choose which things are more important to you and the items that we chose ended up being totally worth it, I don't think you would leave Exo being like, I wish I didn't do that.

7:43That's good. That's great to hear. No regrets. Yeah, no regrets. Always my saying. No regrets. Any feedback or advice that you'd want to give to brands who are considering being at Expo and exhibiting for the first time? Yeah, I think that if you're going to exhibit at Expo, you absolutely need to be ready for the traction that can come from it. That was a big thing for us. We needed to be ready. And I can confidently say that the year prior, we wouldn't have been ready. So there's a lot of awesome conversations. And again, the momentum the expo brings, you want to be able to keep up with that.

8:19So yeah, I would definitely. Yeah. I also know that some brands walk out of this and they're like, oh, I have my new best friend in CPG because the section usually brings in these brands that are like-minded, of course, everyone's there at Expo, natural products. Did you walk away feeling like you had any new best friends or people that you can lean on for resources or just to ask questions? Yeah, absolutely. I think I left with a lot of founder friends for sure. Specifically in our Startups to Be D section, I think most of the brands were all kind of in the same stage. And there was a lot to learn from others too that are maybe a little bit more ahead.

8:56But we all kind were supporting each other. If someone ran out of sample cups or had a question on how this works, we were all supporting each other. And I think that was really good energy, especially as being a first time brand exhibiting. It just felt comforting and not as isolating that I think other parts of the show can feel as a new brand. I love that. Community really is everything. I mean, you know, being part of the Startup CPG community that anytime you have a question, 9.99 times out of 10, somebody has an answer for you. So being able to actually connect with people in real life is a huge plus.

9:32Yeah, no, 100%. I agree. Anytime I ask a question to the Star of CBG community, I get more answers than I ever expected. It's amazing. All right. So what's next for Little Latka? Are you thinking about Expo 2027? Is that on your radar? Are you taking a beat. What are you feeling? Yeah, I think I'm going to see how the next few months play out and kind of then decide is Expo really going to be worth it for next year as far as are we happy with the accounts we secured and just want to focus on those versus on taking on more. Definitely want to exhibit again at Expo though. That's totally understandable and I think it speaks volumes to the ROI that brands are getting from Expo because you go in there, you really don't know what to expect.

10:17But once those retailers start coming through and the buyers taste your product, it could be a total game changer for your brand. And you're like, OK, actually, I'm good. I'm now going to get inbound requests and I don't need any new business. It's a very good thing. Yeah, exactly. I think sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. That's my favorite saying. And I think, yeah, just kind of seeing what really comes through from our expo this year will help us decide. Cool. Well, I'm excited. I need to get my hands on your new flavors and the OG is perfect as well. But I also want to get other people in front of Little Latka.

10:55So can you tell us where we can find you online and on social media? Yeah, you can find us on our website and bundles of three and 12 at littlelaka.com. Our new flavors are going to be launching in select stores early May. So you'll be able to get your hands on them in stores if they're near you soon. Great. Taylor, this was awesome. I'm so glad that you were part of our section. I'm bummed that I missed you, but maybe next year. Maybe next year. You never know. That would be ideal. All right. Well, thank you. I'm sure we're going to see you around. I have no doubt that I'll be seeing you in retailers near me soon.

11:28Hopefully. Hopefully. Thank you so much. Talk to you soon. Gabby and Tonya, co-founders of Gato Dates. We are here to talk about Alley Rally and we have some pretty big news to share. So before we do that, Gabby, can you tell us what Gato Dates is? Gato Dates are dark chocolate covered nut butter stuffed major dates in four different flavors, pistachio butter, almond butter, cashew butter and walnut, and then peanut butter with more flavors to come. So exciting. I'm on the edge of my seat. All right. We have some pretty big news to share. You won the free booth for Expo West 2027 and the Startup CPG section because you got the most votes at our Alley Rally event.

12:17How does that feel? I cried. I get an email from your team, Patricia, who I'm now deeply obsessed with every single one of you and consider you all like my best mates. And I get an email saying that we were this close to winning, that we were just second. We were so close. And I was like, that's a dagger to the heart. I'd rather be fifth place, 10th place, 40th place. I know there was like 40 brands that were sampling than that close. So I messaged Tonya and I'm like, we didn't get it. And just to give some context, I'd flown back from London on the Monday, arrived Monday night, was jet lagged.

13:05We did a huge event with Snackshot and Misfits Market on the Tuesday night in Venice, where we had shirtless models serving gato dates on platters that had tattoos on their chest with our QR code and our logo and saying want a date on them. And we had a real viral moment and it was so exciting. We drive out to Anaheim Wednesday morning. We had backpacks filled with hundreds of date samples with gel packs in them. We walk the trade show floor all day long from the minute it opens 10, 10.30 until five o 'clock. We finally go to our hotel, drop those dates off, pick up everything for the sampling at Alley Rally.

13:47And we're there from 5.45 until till 9pm when it shut, I think it was. And we're talking at nauseam about Gato, about the brand, telling everyone, and we had this QR code on our table. And we're like, please, if you love us, please do us a favor and vote for us. And when I got the email from Patricia saying that after all of those efforts we'd come second I was devastated the next day we get an email through saying Gabby we got the counting wrong there was an issue with the thing whatever you guys won and I read that email and I burst into tears it's the second time I've cried doing this business and this was the second time and I messaged Tonya and I was like we're going to Expo West for free We got the free booth.

14:43We are so thrilled. I am such an advocate for what you guys do at Startup CPG. I mean, I made an entire reel about it after the San Diego grocery run. The people that we've managed to meet from the buyers to distribution companies, to media, whoever it is, the people that we've managed to come across at these different events that you guys host, whether it's a grocery run, whether it's a dinner, whether it's a sampling, whatever it is, have been more impactful than any trade show we've ever walked. And I'm such an advocate for what you guys do and the way that you guys champion brands like us that maybe don't have the budget to be going to Expo West and spending$10 ,000 to do a booth like that.

15:31So we are so thrilled and we cannot wait for next year and we are going to make sure that our booth is incredible. We're going to come up with the next sort of viral idea for Expo West next year. It'll be amazing. It'll be a mystery string budget, always cheap and cheerful. But yeah, we're so excited to be in this space because we know that people are always coming to the startup CPG area to find what's next and what's cool that's happening in CPG. I am so excited for you guys. I mean, if you don't blow up before Expo West 2027, I think it's going to be your year. I've said this. I did a blog.

16:13You saw it. The date blog. I think this year is going to be the year of discovery for dates and date-focused brands. And then 2027, it is just going to be exploding for dates, I think. So. You and Whole Foods are on the same page about this. They released their 2026 report and they said dates are the gateway drug for natural sweeteners. So welcome. They are. We're ready. I'm so excited for you. Congratulations. Can you just tell us a little bit about your experience at Alley Rally and what that was like for you? Yeah. I mean, listen, we didn't have any expectation. We've never been to Alley Rally.

16:49We've never been to Expo West. Like we were sort of going, we were pitching up a table in the way that we would at like stores when we're doing a demo, for instance. And we had a table. We didn't even have our custom tablecloth with us because I'd put it in the washing machine. And obviously my washing machine decided to break down and it was filled to the brim with soap. So we didn't even have a custom tablecloth. I printed something using this to print that was like a board that had our four pouches. And then we had two of our flavors to sample in these little individual sampling packs that you couldn't even open.

17:32People stand at the booth so that we could cut them for them and open them. But I think in terms of sort of the reach and the people that we got to meet there, there were the buyers from Woodlands Market, which we're already in. But for any brand that wasn't in there, Woodlands Market is such a great space up in SF. We love them. We love Trey. We love Steve. They're amazing. The Misfits Market team were there. We know them very well. And it was great to be able to see them again. And whether it was meeting new buyers or distributors in the space or getting to re-engage with people that were already either on their platform or in their store is so important as well.

18:15because staying top of mind for any of these buyers or any of these like retail accounts is really important like especially in these grocery channels they have thousands of products and how do you set yourself apart it's by having those real relationships with these buyers and you can do that when you're seeing them at these different events that you guys host so even if it's not landing a new account, just being able to like go up and give a buyer a hug and like tell them about a new exciting flavor. Or for instance, we're launching a new product, like being able to tell them about that product and get them excited about it is so important and so meaningful.

18:57And I think people in this space, you have to really put time and effort into fostering those relationships because those are the people that are going to make or break your brand. Absolutely. It sounds like you took full advantage of this opportunity. You went scrappy, you went dedicated, and it paid off in a zero dollar booth for next year. What's better than that? Thank you guys both so much for sharing your experience. So excited to have you in the section next year. Can never be not excited about an endless supply of Gato samples right next to me. Utopia now in the section. I just got the floor plan.

19:37So we've got a good little spot. We're right next to the startup CPG table. So perfect. So you know where I will be the entire time. Grazing. Exactly. That's a gentle way to describe it. All right. Next up, we're going to talk to another brand that took advantage of one-on-one meetings at Expo West and we can hear about their experience. Thanks, ladies. Thank you.

20:03All right. And now I'm here with Jesse Suarez, founder of Hola Mija Chips. Jesse, how you doing? Doing well. Hola. I definitely don't have the accent down. We can just get that out of the way now so everyone can flame me later for mispronouncing your brand name, I'm sure. A lot of people say hola, Nija. Okay, cool. All right. We're off to a good start then. All right. Before we get into it, I want to talk to you about the one-on-one meetings that you attended at the Startup CPG booth at Expo. But before we go there, tell everybody who's listening what Ola Mija is. Well, Ola Mija is one of the first tallow tortilla chips in the market.

20:40We deep fry our nixtamal corn tortillas and beef tallow. It's sprinkled with Celtic salt. And that's it. That's our original. And what does nixtamal mean? So nixtamal is the original process of making a tortilla. So it's actually, it's corn and it's grind in a specific stone. and that's how you make the masa, which is how you make a tortilla. That's the traditional Mayan way of making a tortilla. Wow. Yeah. Very cool. We love authenticity, don't we? Yeah. I mean, it goes back to literally the Mayans. Like this is how they would make it. So what we're doing is just eat fried it and beef tallow now.

21:15Not to go off track, but I'm going to go off track for a second. I did catch a social media video of yours recently where you were saying, from the start, you used beef tallow. this wasn't just like you jumping on a trend this was something authentic to you yes if you ask a lot of Latinos like wheat I grew up with like block of lard which was from port but it's always been like that like that was like the thing we used to like if we would deep fry a tortilla chip or deep fry anything it was in lard and it's the same concept and so back in 2021 I was starting to do this, it's been a challenge. We were pioneers to the tallow before it was a trend.

21:55So finding someone at the fire tortilla chips was a big challenge. Now it's a little bit easier, but definitely a big challenge. And it sounds like retailers that you spoke with at Expo were picking up on that and understanding that you were pioneering in the space or with this ingredient, I should say. And so tell us, what was your experience like with the one-on-one meetings? The 101 was great. I mean, thanks to Startup CPG, like setting up these meetings for us was really a good way to start off the expo. And for me, it was one of our highlights. It was meeting up with one of the buyers there.

22:31And that was a good experience. I think the experience where you get to meet someone in person versus an email, like emails is just, it's back and forth and just can't connect. And having that personal connection there was what really can sometimes like close up those deals because you're able to really express your passion for the brand and the excitement that you have being at Expo West. And there's just so much that goes into these meetings. Not only the brands, but it helps the buyers to really understand why we want our product in their stores. That's my experience. That connection in person just never gets old.

23:09I understand that you got a yes on the spot, too. I know you can't say the retailer just yet, but that is pretty cool. What did that feel like to you? I was shocked. Most buyers, it's usually, well, email you. And I think what else helped us is that our booth was really closed. And I think it just speaks volumes when you're there. But it was a yes. And they wanted to place an order, not there on the spot, but they said that we're going to contact our distributor that they've worked with. And so that was pretty exciting to just hear a yes right away. I was like, I remember running back and I was like telling the team, I'm like, they said yes.

23:43But that was a cool experience. Congrats. That is so cool. Yeah. And again, thanks to Startup CPG and setting up that, those meetings and setting up that platform is what really just brings it to a different level. For anybody who's listening right now and has not applied for a one-on-one meeting and you're thinking, well, what the hell are you talking about? The one-on-one meetings are held at the Startup CPG booth. So a brand like Ola Miha, Jesse could sign up for the retailers that he was interested in, basically pitch your product in writing, tell a little bit about your product, a little bit about your brand, and then the buyers would comb through and they would vet the brands and choose who they'd want to have a one-on-one meeting with.

24:22Jesse was one of those brands. So he got to meet with the buyer face-to-face. Tell me how long your meeting was because we do have like father and mother time with the clocks and you have a set amount of time depending on the retailer's allotment. And once the time's up, you're done pitching. I mean, it wasn't tracking time, but I think it felt like maybe like a 10-minute meeting. Very nice. That's because we had conversations about tallow in general. And it wasn't just specifically about selling the product, but it was about the tallow and how it's becoming a trend and how we became a trend and how we started before it was a trend.

24:58There's a lot of connection that goes into these meetings as well, not just selling your product. You're really building a relationship with the buyer. And that's really what we were doing at the one-on-one. But also, this wasn't my first time, actually. So I actually had a few one-on-one meetings back in San Diego. I didn't have a booth that time, but I did attend that expo in San Diego. I was at the Winter Fancy and I had meetings with two others. So I had Buy Right and I also had a meeting with Sprouts. I had a meeting at Buy Right there and it wasn't a yes, but at Expo West, because of that San Diego meeting, I was able to close another deal, which was a week later with Buy Right.

25:36So Buy Right also took us as well, but because of the San Diego meeting. And Sprouts, we're still waiting on you. Yes, exactly. And Sprout is still waiting. They want us to release another flavor, which we are working on chili lime. Ooh, that sounds good. Actually, it's one of my favorites. I like my original, but I like my chili lime and everybody loves the chili lime. I had my friend here yesterday and he literally just finished the whole bag in like three minutes. I totally believe that. When you get a good bag of chips in front of you, it's hard to stop yourself. It's pretty hard, especially if it's real corn.

26:08And I really like what you just added too, because this is another layer for everyone who's listening. When we host these one-on-one meetings at the trade shows, they are not just for the brands exhibiting in our section. They are open to everyone attending the show. So anyone who's part of the Startup CPG community can apply for these one-on-one retailer meetings. They are not just restricted to the brands in our section. So keep your eyes peeled for the next trade show. And I would say those people that are applying for these and they just don't get an answer back, be patient with Startup CPG.