LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The rapidly growing upstart World Peas Brand Peatos is challenging the supreme reign of Cheetos® by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, with a revolutionary new approach to “junk” snacks. In the battle for taste buds, Peatos is taking a bold stand against the company that controls more than two-thirds of the salty snacks in the United States. Not only is Peatos making headlines around the world, national retailers are stocking the product and consumers are raving about it.
“We are up against the Super Bowl-ad-wielding, snack-aisle-dominating, small-brand-crushing, 8,000-lb gorilla of snacking,” said Nick Desai, CEO, World Peas Brand Peatos. “We are on to something huge. Peatos replaces the traditional corn base used in many popular 'junk' snacks with a nutrient-dense pulse base (peas and lentils), and still delivers the same orange, cheesy goodness in a crunchy texture. By doing so, we create a junk food-tasting snack with tons of benefits.”
Pay Attention to Peatos
Peatos are made of pulses and are a crunchy, puffed snack that has two times the protein (4 grams) and three times the fiber (3 grams) of Cheetos® per serving. Peatos also boasts clean, non-GMO ingredients and has no artificial flavors, no synthetic colors and no added MSG. Striking flavors include the popular Classic Cheese, Fiery Hot, Chili Cheese, and Masala.
“Pulses are like a magical ingredient full of plant-based protein and fiber. Common pulses include chickpeas, beans, and lentils. Using pulses to create 'junk' snacks is a game-changing revolution in snacking,” added Desai. “There are tons of better-for-you snack options now, but they often leave your taste buds in misery. It’s the taste of Peatos that will blow your mind. “
The company spent two years developing Peatos to mimic the taste, texture, crave-ability, and visual appeal of “junk” snacks. World Peas Brand is obsessed with taste and so are its loyal fans—making Peatos one of the most innovative snacks to hit the market in decades.
Taking Notice of the Scrappy Startup
World Peas Brand Peatos™ is definitely on the radar of snack behemoth Frito-Lay®, who sent a cease and desist letter to the company in May, asking the company to change its key provocative tagline “Tigers Live Longer Than Cheetahs,” among other things.
“If you are going to play in the puffed cheese snack category, you’d better be ready to take the Cheetah head-on,” added Desai. “They are not a major player in the category, they are the definition of the category, much like Q-tips® or Kleenex®. We have turned the category on its head with disruptive innovation similar to when the flip phone was replaced by the smart phone.”
Peatos is quite certain that Frito-Lay cannot corner the market on snacks ending in “-tos.” The biggest ingredient in Peatos is peas. “I cannot think of a more honest name than ‘Peatos.’ The suffix ‘tos’ comes from the Spanish language and means ‘small pieces.’ Frito-Lay has played hardball in the snack aisle for decades. We believe they are attempting to silence us and stifle competition with their powerful legal resources,” continued Desai.
Big Picture Partnerships and Produce Positioning
In a few short months, Peatos has gone from zero to several thousand stores nationwide and has become one of the top-selling pea-based snacks. Plant-based, protein-packed Peatos are unique in salty snacking and are merchandised in the produce section, a highly-coveted space along the perimeter of the stores.
“Kroger was the first major retailer to believe in us and we credit them for taking a young brand under its wing,” said Desai.
Peatos are currently available in the produce sections at Walmart (in the Northeast), Safeway (Northern California), Kroger and its banner stores including Cala Foods, City Markets, Copps, Dillons, FoodsCo, Fred Meyer Stores, Fry's, King Soopers, Mariano's Fresh Market, Metro Market, Pick 'n Save, QFC, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, and Smith's, as well as Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons (Southern California) and online on Amazon. In addition to being embraced by retailers, Peatos has already won several awards, made headlines in the press, and has created social media buzz. Recently, the company has learned that Facebook is replacing Cheetos with Peatos on their campus.
“Clearly Facebook has taken an amazingly forward-minded position and is putting its employees first. It may only be a pin prick to our feline antagonist, but it’s right through the heart!” added Desai.
Tasting is Believing, Try Peatos for Free
On Friday, August 31st, customers with a loyalty account at Kroger and its banner stores including Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, Jay C Food Store, Owens Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Smith’s Food and Drug, can get a free 1 oz. bag of Peatos by downloading the Free Friday Download coupon that can be redeemed for a two-week period. The national campaign kicks off the back to school season, making Peatos an ideal snack for kids and their families.
Time to Make a Difference
A key mission of World Peas Brand is to develop plant-based snacks that are affordable and accessible and have broad-based appeal. The brand has a goal to help the vast majority of Americans eat better, and not just the small minority who shop in the high-end natural channel. This summer, Peatos launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise awareness for Peatos and to rally support around the transformation happening in the snack industry.
“Tasting is believing. We want to galvanize the community to get the word out about Peatos,” concluded Desai. “We simply don’t have the money for a Super Bowl ad like the big guys do. We need our loyal fans to help us drive our mission forward and help us spread the word.”
ABOUT WORLD PEAS BRAND PEATOS
Snack it Forward creates great tasting real fruit and vegetable snacks through a portfolio of brands which includes World Peas™ and Sunkist® Snacks. Peatos™ by World Peas is revolutionizing snacking by creating better-for-you Plant Based “junk food.” Peatos are a pulse-based crunchy puffed snack that deliver the bold flavor and big crunch snacking experience we all crave, but without empty calories. With 4 grams of plant-based protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving, Peatos aims to Unjunk Your Snack. Learn more at worldpeasbrand.com and find us on Facebook.com/worldpeasbrand and on Twitter and Instagram @worldpeaspeatos.
