Distribution: Mooski Reaches the Mid-Atlantic with Mom’s Organic; TiNDLE Teams with PLNT Burger

Mooski Goes Chainwide with Mom’s Organic

Chilled oat bar brand Mooski has reached the Mid-Atlantic, landing in all 27 Mom’s Organic stores across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. The deal strengthens the brand’s East Coast presence and brings its total nationwide door count to approximately 1,000.

Founder Robert Broome called the partnership “a bit of a homecoming or a full-circle moment,” as he is from D.C. and used to source ingredients for his former ice cream business from a Mom’s Organic store down the street from a commercial kitchen space where he made the product.

Mom’s Organic will stock all three of Mooski’s flavors – Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana and Cookie Dough – which are crafted with gluten-free oats, almonds, peanuts and chocolate and deliver 5 grams of protein per serving.

The news comes after Mooski announced last month that it secured a $1.5 million Series A investment round from an angel investor who previously participated in the brand’s seed round. Having established product-market fit, the brand plans to use the fresh funds to accelerate scaling efforts from a sales, operations and marketing standpoint.

El Nacho Lands in Whole Foods Market

El Nacho has landed its Original, El Diablo and Ms Mango tortilla chip varieties in Whole Foods Market stores across the North Atlantic region, according to a LinkedIn post by founder and president Joseph Cassinelli.

“When we started this brand, our goal was simple: bring bold flavor, thoughtful ingredients and a little luchador spirit into the snack aisle. Seeing that vision land at Whole Foods is a milestone we’ll never forget,” wrote Cassinelli.

The brand launched last year as the first CPG play from The Alpine Restaurant Group, the operator of popular Boston spots such as The Painted Burro, Burro Bar and Posto. According to president Joe Cassinelli, the El Nacho team initially believed they would be competing directly with other tortilla chip brands like Mission and Xochital, but its focus on flavor has actually put it on a playing field with Siete, Late July and other gourmet chip brands.

Paktli Heads to Sprouts

Paktli is charting its first ever natural channel launch, hitting the shelves of Sprouts’ Innovation section just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month in September.

The brand’s Mexican alegria bites – offered in White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs and Extra Dark Chocolate with Cranberries + Cashews – will be available at the retail chain for three months.

Earlier this year, Paktli rolled out to HomeGoods stores nationwide, marking its first distribution beyond farmer’s markets and independent stores. The brand has also received a request to distribute its products to HomeGoods England and Ireland, according to founder Seena Chriti.

Fancypants Touches Down in Texas

Massachusetts-based crispy cookie brand Fancypants Baking Co. is taking its treats down south, launching its Chocolate Chip, S’Mores and Salted Caramel flavors in Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B.

“Gaining distribution takes time and dedication, great people, a bit of luck and a solid strategy. From weekly sales meetings to shelf placements, there are a thousand tasks in between. We know Texans love their cookies and we can’t wait for shoppers to try ours,” wrote founder and CEO Maura Duggan in a LinkedIn post.

TiNDLE Expands Foodservice Presence

Alt-meat tech food startup TiNDLE is deepening its presence in the foodservice channel through a new partnership with PLNT Burger, the plant-based fast food restaurant chain founded by celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn.

As part of the deal, the restaurant will carry TiNDLE’s Gourmet Chicken offering, marking the product’s U.S. debut. Its menu will incorporate the plant-based chicken patty into four menu items: Crispy Chik’n Sandwich, Spicy Chik’n Sandwich, Grilled Chik’n Sandwich and Spicy Grilled Chick’n Sandwich.

“We set out to build a premium chicken filet that stands up to the taste, texture and versatility people expect from real poultry. Gourmet Chicken is the result: a clean-label, whole-muscle innovation that delivers bite, chew and flavor, while offering a variety of menu opportunities for operators and plant-curious consumers,” said Timo Recker, co-founder and CEO of TiNDLE, in a statement.

Gourmet Chicken is the first TiNDLE foodservice product utilizing the brand’s TrueCut technology, which seeks to deliver “exceptional” flavor, mouthfeel and texture while meeting demand for clean label ingredients.

More distribution news from across the industry:

• This month, The Real Cereal Company is rolling out to Fresh Thyme Market, Harmons, Raley’s, Lunds & Byerlys, Roche Bros and Coborn’s, according to a LinkedIn post by

• Kooshy has launched its second product with Costco, Sourdough Panko Italian Breadcrumbs, available at all Midwest locations. The product is free from sugar and seed oils.
• African gourmet salt company N/UM has launched its African Beechwood Smoked Salt blend in Erewhon with an SRP of $24.99 per 4.9 oz. jar.