SEATTLE and SAN FRANCISCO – January 13, 2019 – Today, at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Armani Foods announced the availability of ChevO Spicy Global Trail Mix, an innovative fusion of flavors from East Africa, India and the Americas. Named one of the show’s “Hot New Items,” ChevrO is initially offered as multipacks of single-serving packages.
ChevrO, whose slogan is “Send Your Tastebuds Globetrotting” is designed to appeal to Millennials’ increasing appetite for adventurous snack alternatives. “The research says that Millennials are seeking culturally diverse options, and bold, spicy flavors,” said Ariff Gulamani, Armani Foods CEO. “That is the perfect description of ChevrO.” Before launching the product, Armani Foods tested it extensively with both Millennial and GenX consumers. “Being in Seattle, we had the opportunity to sample ChevrO with employees at some of our region’s high tech companies. It was a huge hit across the board.”
ChevrO began as a family recipe, born out of the founders’ Indian heritage and childhoods growing up in East Africa, according to Armani Foods COO Shairose Gulamani. As the Gulamanis raised their family in North America, the recipe evolved. “We grew up with these flavors which were melded together from different continents,” she said. “We wanted to share that experience with our children. But being health conscious, we knew we had to change it up.” Over the years, the family fine-tuned the mix to reduce the calories, fat and salt. Then, with input from their family and friends, they tweaked the ingredients and flavors to better appeal to an Americanized palette. When the family snack became wildly popular with their son’s college classmates, the Gulamanis saw opportunity.
Armani Foods already had contracts for their Vovito Gelato with food service operators at some of the Northwest’s leading companies. They began producing ChevrO in small batches for their customers to test its appeal. When that proved successful, they set out to create a product that could be produced and packaged at scale. They spent a year refining the mix to further reduce sugars, fat and salt. They fine-tuned flavors though extensive taste testing, designed iconic signature packaging, and secured wholesale suppliers and volume packers. The product is being officially launched at the 2019 Fancy Food Show, where it has earned the moniker of “Hot New Item.”
Early response to ChevrO has been “absolutely fantastic”, said the Gulamanis. “We are very excited by how enthusiastically it has been received. It is gratifying to know that our family’s favorite snack could potentially become America’s favorite snack.”
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About Armani Foods
Armani Foods, founded by Ariff and Shairose Gulamani in 2017, is a specialty food supplier headquartered in Seattle, WA. The company’s wholesale products include Vovito Specialty Coffee, Vovito Gelato and ChevrO Spicy Global Trail Mix. Learn more at GoChevro.com
FFS Booth # 458