When Snacklins first sold at a local D.C. brewery and farmers markets in 2016, few would have imagined what was about to come—from securing investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank to landing national distribution and major retailers like Whole Foods Market, Shop-Rite, Sprouts, and Market Basket. For the founder, Samy Kobrosly, the journey from side hustle to scaled CPG business has always been rooted in listening to the consumer, refining relentlessly, and controlling the means of production.
Kobrosly, born and raised in Iowa, brought an unconventional background to food. Before Snacklins, he was known as a radio DJ host on 99.5 in Washington, D.C. But driven by curiosity and a love of food, Samy K ventured beyond the microphone and founded Snacklins in 2016 with one goal: to make a better snack chip experience.
That same year, Kobrosly joined the Union Kitchen Accelerator after meeting the Union Kitchen team at local farmer's markets. At the time, Snacklins was still an emerging concept sold at select locations. Union Kitchen worked closely with Kobrosly to build the fundamentals of the business—refining the product, developing a pricing strategy for profitability, and establishing a clear go-to-market approach.
Snacklins entered Phase Two—product-market fit—by fully leveraging Union Kitchen’s ecosystem. Production scaled inside the Union Kitchen manufacturing facility, moving from small-batch to larger-scale manufacturing capable of supporting regional distribution. District Distribution, Union Kitchen’s distribution partner, was the first to carry the product, helping Snacklins saturate the D.C. market through key placements in MOM’s Organic Market, Yes! Organic Market, Compass Coffee, and Streets Market.
The Snacklins team also took advantage of Union Kitchen stores to learn from customers. The product was originally positioned as a Vegan Pork Rind but they learned quickl that pork rinds were not top of the list for the vegan consumer. What did resonate was the fact that the entire bag was only 80 calories.
In 2017, Snacklins landed their first major retailer, Whole Foods Market, after a tasting event hosted at Union Kitchen. The brand’s distinctive voice and consumer traction continued to build momentum, culminating in a 2019 appearance on Shark Tank, where Kobrosly secured investment from Mark Cuban. That same year, Whole Foods Market named Snacklins one of the top food trends to watch and expanded their product across several regions.
Through it all, the brand stayed grounded in iteration. “We are always in search of self-improvement and innovation,” said Kobrosly. “Part of this is elaborating on our story, and when your brand is a snack chip in a noisy chip aisle, you have to find a way to tell your story and differentiate from the crowd. I don't think we'll ever be done evolving.”
By Phase Three: Growth, Snacklins had outgrown Union Kitchen’s facility and opened its own manufacturing plant in Rockville, Maryland. That decision to control production allows Kobrosly and his team to maintain cost control, scale with flexibility, and innovate. Snacklins continued expanding its footprint, now carried by national distributors like UNFI and KeHE, and stocked in retailers across the country.
“Ground yourself in the consumer,” Kobrosly advises other entrepreneurs. “Put them first. Ask them what they love about your product and what sets your product apart so the packaging will accurately reflect that and speak for itself on shelf.”
From its humble start in D.C. farmers markets to national distribution and prime-time television, Snacklins is a case study in how food brands can scale smart by controlling their manufacturing, listening obsessively to consumers, and evolving with the market to stay ahead in one of the most competitive aisles in retail.
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