Brownie Brittle Founder on Competition, Customers and Channel Growth

Many successful food companies start with one unique product and expand from there. But when your company is known for that single product, which happens to be the name of your company, how do you expand, innovate and become a platform? For Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle, it required refining product attributes and pack sizes for different channels, launching into adjacent categories, and continually engaging their consumer.

Founded by Sheila Mains in 2011 as a way of growing her freshly baked brownie business, Brownie Brittle is a center-store stalwart sold on retailer shelves including Costco, Kroger, Publix, Target and Wegmans. In 2012, Mains partnered with Jerry Bello, founder and CEO of Keen Marketing, and in just 18 months took Brownie Brittle from a reported $500,000 in sales to over $38 million.

Now, six years later, Mains has competition in the category with entire sets now devoted to thin cookies and other desserts. But, Mains says, Brownie Brittle will still stand out, noting that “Competition is good, I’m flattered.”

For more of Mains’ strategies with channel growth and customer service watch the video above.