Skincare Entrepreneurs Enter F&B World With Dally Konjac Jelly

After selling their skincare brand, ZitSticka, in 2022, brothers-in-law Robbie Miller and Daniel Kaplan are entering the food and beverage world with Dally, a new line of konjac jelly snack pouches.

Dally, which hard-launched this month, carries three flavors – Mango, Peach and Apple – that are available on the brand’s website and Amazon for $25 per 10-pack of 5.07 oz. pouches. Billed as “the ultimate snack,” each dairy-free, keto-friendly, zero-sugar pouch has just 10 calories and features konjac, a root vegetable known for its high fiber content, as its hero ingredient.

Konjac has long been used as the base of gelatinous snacks in Asia, often mixed with fruit and other flavorings. In the U.S., the root vegetable has been marketed as a pasta alternative for consumers seeking to lose weight and, more recently, has become what some may call the “unicorn” of alt-seafood.

While sourcing ingredients in Korea for ZitSticka, Miller and Kaplan said konjac pouches became their go-to portable snack on hectic days and, inspired by the dominance of the product abroad, they set out to make it a snacking staple stateside.

According to market researcher Fact.MR, the konjac market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1%, reaching $2.1 billion by 2032.

“The concept is to have your Dally daily because there’s finally a snack to introduce to your routine that is low in calories and has prebiotics, probiotics and Vitamin C,” said Miller, adding that the brand has plans to add an array of functional product ranges.

Dally may mark the duo’s first foray into the food world, but they were able to rely on relationships and connections from their first CPG company to get the brand off the ground, partnering with a manufacturer in Korea. According to Kaplan, this ensured “R&D wasn’t too tough out the gate.” The company also went “pretty deep in terms of due diligence,” executing focus group testing and taste testing in the U.S.

Despite its gelatinous texture, Dally isn’t positioning itself as a challenger brand to Jell-O. Rather, the brand is seeking to shake up the entire snacking category. Other brands marketing konjac jelly pouches include Tastelli and EVERYDAZE.

“We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves to Jell-O lovers. [Dally] is an innovative snack, it’s chewier and is a more satiating bite,” said Miller, noting that nearly 90% of Americans snack multiple times a day.

In the months ahead, Miller and Kaplan will focus on generating brand awareness through Dally’s D2C website and marketing efforts on Instagram and TikTok to turn the brand into a household name – their ultimate goal. Once Dally generates widespread consumer demand, the founders believe retailer demand will follow.

“We like to be versatile with our branding, and we like to be agnostic as a business. We want to make sure that the brand resonates with it and the products will welcome them in,” said Miller. “I think it’s going to be a wide gamut.”