In the competitive salty snack aisle, convenience store retailers are constantly hunting for the holy grail: a high-margin, better-for-you product that actually drives repeat foot traffic. Enter Snackish, a line of protein-powered potato chips launched by SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch. This is not Bosch’s first foray into snack food. Her previous product, SmartSweets was a hit with candy lovers and those looking for better-for-you treats.
By bypassing traditional co-packers to build North America’s first dedicated “Snacktory,” the brand is offering c-store buyers absolute supply chain reliability, a nostalgic crunch and a high-basket-value proposition designed to turn everyday snacking into a massive category driver.
Convenience Store News Canada caught up with the snack entrepreneur to discuss her research into the trends that inspired her launch of protein potato chips.
Why owning the “Snacktory” creates supply chain control
CSNC: How does owning the “Snacktory,” the first of its kind in North America, give you better operational control and supply chain reliability for your retail partners compared to using a co-packer?
TB: For us, the Snacktory is one of the biggest decisions behind the brand because it allows us to build Snackish with the same level of intention as the product itself. We are not just launching a chip, we are building the infrastructure behind a new kind of snack company.
Owning our manufacturing gives us more control over quality, consistency, innovation and supply. In a category like salty snacks, where taste, crunch, seasoning coverage and freshness
matter so much, every detail counts. Having our own facility means we can move faster, test faster, iterate faster and make sure every bag reflects the standard we set for the brand.
It also creates more reliability for our retail partners. We are not competing for production time with other brands or dependent on a third-party co-packer’s priorities. We have visibility across the process, from formulation to production to scaling, which helps us support national retail from day one and continue to grow with our partners in a thoughtful way.
The strategy behind balancing gut health with taste
CSNC: How do you balance better-for-you health attributes with the goal of driving “repeat behaviour” based on taste?
TB: The development process took about a year, and the biggest unlock was staying extremely clear on what we would not compromise. I learned through SmartSweets that if you want to change a category, the product has to be excellent and the operations have to be built to support that vision.
It also creates more reliability for our retail partners. We are not competing for production time with other brands or dependent on a third-party co-packer’s priorities. We have visibility across the process, from formulation to production to scaling, which helps us support national retail from day one and continue to grow with our partners in a thoughtful way.
I never wanted Snackish to feel like a “healthy alternative” that asked people to give something up. Chips are emotional. They are fun, craveable, salty, crunchy and a little nostalgic. So we started with the experience people already love, real potatoes, bold seasoning and that satisfying crunch, and then rebuilt what was inside the bag.
Taste had to lead. We use potato-powered protein, gut-happy fiber and 100% avocado oil, but if people do not want to come back for another handful, none of those benefits matter. Repeat behaviour comes from craving, not claims.
CSNC: You are launching with a Canadian-exclusive flavour, “Best Dressed.” What was the strategy behind creating a specific flavour just for the Canadian market, and how do you expect it to perform?
TB: As a Canadian founder, launching Snackish in Canada is really meaningful to me, and I wanted the Canadian customer to feel that in the lineup. Best Dressed is a love letter to a flavour profile Canadians know and love.
I expect it to be a strong performer because it taps into something familiar while still feeling new. It has that “one more handful” quality, which is exactly what we look for in every flavour.