The size of the 15-member Keith clan behind Perfect Snacks would make it an outlier at any point in American history, but especially now—when the average U.S. household has barely two and a half inhabitants by chloesorvino
Keith is taking her time flattening a mound of peanut butter, honey, cranberries and chocolate chips with a wooden rolling pin, before cutting it into 4-inch rectangles. She used to do this at race speed, when she and her siblings worked through the night to fill orders for their peanut-butter bars 14 years ago, when they were starting Perfect Snacks.
“With all of your . . . finances invested in peanuts and honey to the very last dollar, you sure as heck got to figure out how to sell this bar,” Leigh says. The siblings’ father, Bud, came up with the bars while on an extended road trip with his brood in the ’90s. He had quit his 9-to-5 marketing juicers for Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru and former TV-show host, to become a traveling salesman of supplements and omega oils and lecturer-cum-inspirational speaker about healthy living. Rather than leave his family behind, he packed the entire clan—then seven children—into a 1982 21-foot Dodge RV.
First order of business: Raise some working capital. The kids quickly sold the bed-and-breakfast, netting $100,000 after taxes. Two thirds of that went to a used candy-wrapping machine to package the bars, the rest toward organic peanuts and honey. “With all of your . . . finances invested in peanuts and honey to the very last dollar, you sure as heck got to figure out how to sell this bar,” Leigh says.
Perfect Snacks got a 30-day trial at the manager’s Berkeley Whole Foods. Bill was the in-store pitchman. With no money for a hotel, he lived in his car for a month, showering at a gym. Perfect Snacks sold $20,000 at that Whole Foods in a month, more than it had in the past six months combined—and enough for Whole Foods to expand Perfect Snacks to ten more northern California locations. “That was the match that started the wildfire,” Bill says.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
13 Awkwardly Hilarious – And Somewhat Sad – Promposal Fails That Happened IRL'Well, that sounds fun, but I don’t know how my girlfriend would feel about it.'
Read more »
13 Fine Dining Etiquette Rules You Probably Had No Idea AboutLet's just clear this up right now: that napkin belongs in your lap, not tucked into your chin like a bib.
Read more »
French launch manhunt for suspect behind Lyon blast that injured 13French officials have launched a manhunt for an individual suspected of leaving an explosive on a busy street in the French city of Lyon that injured 13 people and blew out the windows of a nearby bakery.
Read more »
Man arrested following investigation into mysterious death of 13-year-old girlCarlos Rivera, 47, of Lawrence, was arrested after authorities looked into the death of 13-year-old Chloe Ricard.
Read more »
MLB roundup: Mets walk off in 13 over TigersTomas Nido homered leading off the bottom of the 13th inning Saturday night as t...
Read more »
13 mind-blowing facts that show just how expensive San Francisco really isSan Francisco is one of the wealthiest and most expensive cities in America, thanks to its booming tech industry and proximity to Silicon Valley.
Read more »
13 Secret Questions That Google Uses To Collect Employee FeedbackGoogle asks its employees 13 questions when collecting feedback on its managers. Here are those 13 questions and what Google looks for in its managers.
Read more »
Suspect arrested after Lyon bomb attack that wounded 13NEW: Suspect arrested following blast in Lyon that wounded 13 people last week, French interior minister says.
Read more »
3 arrested in nail bomb attack that wounded 13 in Lyon, FranceThree suspects arrested in connection with parcel bomb detonated in French city of Lyon, authorities confirm to ABC News.
Read more »