Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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A Classic Favorite sof™ 2014 Gold Winner 800.372.6808 | Seattle, WA franschocolates.com Handmade Packages Jun developed the product the same way she conceived of it—in her kitchen, with her daughter by her side. "My daughter was my R&D," she says. "We experimented." They tried a variety of different oils to mix with the seaweed—walnut, avocado, grapeseed— and much to Jun's relief, her daughter settled on one of the cheapest: olive oil. Once Jun settled upon the simple, healthful ingredient list, she tracked down a seaweed roaster in Northern California to provide the seaweed itself. She wrapped the final product in clear packages and added homemade printer labels as a final touch. Jun started out with the goal of selling SeaSnax at farmers markets around Los Angeles. She thought if she sold the snack herself for 10 years or so, it would catch on and a store like Whole Foods Market would take notice. This dream was quickly dashed: local markets had a three-year waiting list. Her next stop was Rainbow Acres, a health food store near her house, where the owners agreed to carry SeaSnax. "I said I have this really healthy snack. Would you guys sell it here? And they actually said yes," she remembers. Emboldened by her success, Jun went to the Santa Monica Co-op, another local health food store, and they also agreed to carry it right away. The third store to agree to carry SeaSnax was Whole Foods—not 10 years later, but within a year of launching the company. The sales didn't stop: by the end of that first year, SeaSnax was stocked in 600 stores nationwide. "I was naive and passion- ate because I knew I had something that was healthy, of good quality, and something I felt good about, that I believed in, and wanted to share with the rest of the world," says Jun. Running the Business Jun credits frugal spending with keeping her afloat in the beginning. SeaSnax was com- pletely bootstrapped, so it was important to keep costs low. "We never had the fancy, beautiful displays at shows—we just had our boxes. Other companies would invest in making things really slick, but we had to cut corners and be smart about how we spent the money," she says. As the business took off, her hus- band, Ben Kim, quit his own business to join SeaSnax full time. The family remains involved today. Jun's daughter retains her trusted role in R&D (she is the first taste tester for all new products). Jun herself manages sales, marketing, and deliveries. Her husband deals with logistics and paper- work. Though there are no official titles, she notes her husband has come up with some Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3725 WINTER 2016 79