Listen to this articleA Hunterdon County-based oil-free snack brand maker is hitting the shelves at organic and natural grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market.
In a Sept. 15 press release, Ancient Crunch announced a distribution agreement that will bring its MASA tortilla chips and Vandy potato chips to the supermarket chain’s more than 460 locations across the U.S.
Launched in 2022 by Steven Rofrano and Seth Goldstein as a side hustle, the Lebanon-headquartered company focuses on developing clean versions of craveable snacks. Its lineup of grass-fed tallow-cooked chips contains no seed oils, no pesticides and no artificial ingredients.
To celebrate the Oct. 1 launch in Sprouts’ snack aisle, Ancient Crunch will debut two exclusive in-store flavors: MASA Hatch Chile and Vandy French Onion.
In a statement, Goldstein shared, “Partnering with Sprouts allows us to reach a wider audience of shoppers who care about clean ingredients, bold flavor, and snacks they can actually feel good about eating. We’re especially excited to bring exclusive flavors to the Sprouts community that highlight the creativity and culinary inspiration behind both MASA and Vandy.”
Known for its wide selection of natural and organic foods, Sprouts sells fresh produce, meat, poultry, seafood, baked goods, vitamins, household items, body care, dairy items and packaged groceries.
Since opening its first New Jersey site six years ago in Marlton, the Phoenix-based chain has added stores in Aberdeen, Haddonfield Township and West Deptford.
It also has locations coming next month to Woodbridge and by the end of 2026 to East Windsor.
From side project to main line
According to Entrepreneur magazine, Goldstein and Rofrano invested about $250,000 to start their business. They have also raised about $14 million in capital to support growth.
“Because we fry our chips in beef tallow, we couldn’t find a factory, so we built our own. Turns out, that’s fairly challenging. The other major dynamic is that you always need more money than you think. We have said we are done raising money countless times in the past three years,” he told the publication.
Goldstein, a former vice president at a private equity fund focused on health care businesses, also said Ancient Crunch is on track for $250 million in revenue next year.
“It’s awesome seeing your product gain cultural standing. When we started, this was a side project that most of my friends politely told me was a waste of time. Now, we have something like 100,000 people eating our products every month, and we are a bestselling product at several major retailers, including Erewhon and Citarella,” he said.
