Plant-based snack brand PeaTos is expanding the retail footprint of its innovative snacks, which are now available in over 2,000 CVS Health stores and hundreds of H-E-B locations across the US.
On a mission to disrupt the $20 billion salty snack market with healthier versions of junk food, PeaTos’ products replace traditional corn-based ingredients with nutrient-dense peas. Modeled on classic Frito-Lays brands like Cheetos® and Funyuns®, PeaTos sells a range of crunchy rings and curls made without artificial colors, flavors or MSG.
Taking on the best
As the brand revealed in 2020, it aims to specifically challenge Frito-Lay’s dominance of the salty snack category.
“Look, if you want to be the best, you have to take on the best, and there is no one that does snacking like Frito-Lay,” commented PeaTos founder and CEO Nick Desai. “PeaTos is delivering those feelings of comfort food nostalgia that snacks like Cheetos and Funyuns provide, but without all the artificial ingredients and frankly the junk that comes with eating those snacks.”
PeaTo’s products are sold in single-serve, bulk and variety multipacks in four flavors: Crunchy Onion Rings, Crunchy No-Cheese Curls, Crunchy Fiery Curls and new Crunch Pizza Rings, which feature oven-baked tomato and cheese flavors. In 2022, the company introduced a proprietary process for recreating the dairy taste experience using 100% plant-based ingredients.
Converting more snackers
“Since PeaTos was first introduced in Kroger stores some three years ago, we have become one of the fastest-growing snack brands in the nation,” says Desai. “Today, we have significantly furthered the PeaTos mission of converting more snackers to our unique approach, one that makes good on the dream of delivering on all the flavor and fun of a true ‘junk’ food snack experience but with better-for-you nutrition, using only plant-based ingredients.”
