With a seasoned career in CPG, this founder is taking his family's Swiss roots and experience in the food & beverage industry to create a new type of snack bar.
Fridge-fresh snacking is hot right now, and doesn't look to be cooling off. The global refrigerated snacks market was valued US$52B in 2021 and is projected to reach US$73.7B by 2028, driven by consumers' growing preference toward natural and fresh food. Step into a grocery store and you'll find products like cookies, donuts, chocolates, yogurts and snack bars.
Which is where Mooski comes in. The first-ever fresh granola bar, these chilled oat bars are made with a "luscious blend of silky smooth Swiss-style overnight oats (Muesli) and creamy nut butter…all covered in dark chocolate." Plant-based, gluten free and only 6 grams of sugar per bar, Mooski is currently available in three flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana and Cookie Dough. Find 'em in select retailers nationwide.
We spoke with Robert to hear about his experience in CPG, how the brand came to be, his approach to work/life balance, and advice for other founders in the food biz. Let's get snacking!
Prior to starting Mooski I was leading brand management for Clio Snacks - the second biggest brand in the refrigerated bar set. My experience working for Clio gave me a better understanding of the inner workings of a perishable food business. Before Clio I held marketing and innovations roles at RXBAR - which is really where I cut my teeth on the product development side and learning the skills needed to create Mooski.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
I wanted to create an overnight oat bar - something that was soft and fresh and unlike any of the other oat-based granola bars on the market, many of which tend to be dry, stale and full of preservatives.
My family is from Switzerland and over there overnight oats is called Muesli (which if said with an American accent is “MOOSE-LEE”). The brand name Mooski, the Moose logo and the Swiss Alpine branding are all a play on “Muesli”.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are a ton of brands I think are crushing it. I’ve always been a fan of Kodiak Cakes - I love their products and their branding is consistently on point. I like MALK Organics a lot from a product perspective - clean and simple ingredients, yet still tastes great. Olilpop solves a real problem, and couples that with great packaging and a great tasting product. And lastly, Coconut Cult is awesome. Having worked in the yogurt category - I appreciate how differentiated the product is, and the texture is out of this world. They also have really creative collaborations with other brands.
As far as people go, I turn to the co-founders of RXBAR. Jared is a recent investor in Mooski and also an advisor - with a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas. I’ve considered Peter Rahal to be a mentor of mine ever since he hired me at RX. He has some of the best instincts when it comes to innovation and product.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry?
What haven’t been the challenges (lol). One of the biggest challenges we experienced so far was self-manufacturing, particular as we began to scale. A lot of our bandwidth and energy went into our self-manufacturing operation - which as a small team pulled attention from other priorities. We just recently moved production to a co-man which really solved for a lot of the problems we were experiencing.
Another challenge is being a perishable brand with relatively little brand awareness. Brands with great awareness get a ton of trial. We haven’t had the luxury of using brand awareness as a lever to drive trial, so a lot of our sales have come from lower funnel tactics (in-store promotions, demos, etc.). Given we’re a perishable product, it’s been a challenge to make sure we are driving trial out the gates at each POD so that consumers are having the freshest and best possible first experience with our product.
What impact has the current economy had on the brand?
Fortunately, not a huge impact so far. From a fundraising perspective we’ve been able to tap into a close network of friends and family + angel investors to help fund the business and give us sufficient runway as we scale.
What were some of the highs/lows from 2023?
We’ve had a lot of highs. To name a few:
Expanded retail footprint out of California with key partners like Foxtrot Market, Fresh Thyme, Harmon’s, and Central Market to name a few.
Launching online grocery with Hungryroot so that anyone can get Mooski delivered straight to their door.
Moving to a co-man in order to improve our capacity, costs and product quality.
Having Jared Smith, co-founder of RXBAR, invest in Mooski
We’ve obviously had some lows as well, but the ones that really come to mind are again tied to self manufacturing, such as the high level of turnover we experienced and equipment breaking down.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
I try to stay really active - going to the gym multiple times week and playing sports like tennis, soccer and skiing when I can.
I try to go to the beach after the “work day” - to just sit with no screens and allow my brain a chance to relax.
I try to really limit my consumption of alcohol - I never drink during the work week and try to save drinking for special occasions.
In CPG, your product is everything
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
Make sure you have a product that can be scaled. Can what you’re doing at small scale and in small batches be replicated at scale? On this note, have conversations with manufacturers / equipment folks very early on in order to gut-check this. If your recipe and concept can’t scale, it won’t work.
Build a team that compliments your skillset. Early employees / co-founders, etc. should be good at what you suck at and fill a real need or void on the team.
Spend as much time in the market and in stores as you can - you’ll find learnings you’d never get behind a computer screen. Also buy your product from the store - I routinely buy product from the stores we’re in, in order to do “quality checks” on the product and get a sense of the exact consumer experience from finding the product through check-out and eating it.
In CPG, your product is everything. Constantly work to make it better and don’t be stubborn or resist changes because they’re difficult or go against the notion of your original vision. Getting REAL feedback and asking for candid feedback is a critical part of this process. Be as quick as possible with continuous improvements as well. Stores / consumers aren’t going to wait around for you.
What foods do you always have on hand?
I lived in France for 4 years and have European parents so our fridge has a bit of a “European influence” to it. We usually have cornichons, raclette cheese, pate, anchovies, etc. in our fridge. Things our friends find weird but I think are delicious.
What trends do you think are here to stay?
I think fresh is here to stay. People are moving towards the perimeter of the store to shop for fresher items across multiple categories (juice, soups, bars, dog food, etc.). Good tasting food trumps everything though. That’s what brings consumers back and drives repeat purchase. Our philosophy is to tap into the trends: fresh, plant-based, etc., but to always keep good taste / texture as our most important priority.
What are your goals for 2024?
Continue to grow Mooski’s retail footprint and launch into big national accounts.
Grow our velocities in the stores we’re in and become a leading refrigerated snack bar from a velocity perspective.
Make Mooski profitable. Given the macroeconomic environment, there’s no longer the luxury of waiting to make your business profitable. One of our single most important priorities is to scale Mooski in a fashion that is also profitable.
Fridge-fresh snacking is hot right now, and doesn't look to be cooling off. The global refrigerated snacks market was valued US$52B in 2021 and is projected to reach US$73.7B by 2028, driven by consumers' growing preference toward natural and fresh food. Step into a grocery store and you'll find products like cookies, donuts, chocolates, yogurts and snack bars.
Which is where Mooski comes in. The first-ever fresh granola bar, these chilled oat bars are made with a "luscious blend of silky smooth Swiss-style overnight oats (Muesli) and creamy nut butter…all covered in dark chocolate." Plant-based, gluten free and only 6 grams of sugar per bar, Mooski is currently available in three flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana and Cookie Dough. Find 'em in select retailers nationwide.
We spoke with Robert to hear about his experience in CPG, how the brand came to be, his approach to work/life balance, and advice for other founders in the food biz. Let's get snacking!
Prior to starting Mooski I was leading brand management for Clio Snacks - the second biggest brand in the refrigerated bar set. My experience working for Clio gave me a better understanding of the inner workings of a perishable food business. Before Clio I held marketing and innovations roles at RXBAR - which is really where I cut my teeth on the product development side and learning the skills needed to create Mooski.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
I wanted to create an overnight oat bar - something that was soft and fresh and unlike any of the other oat-based granola bars on the market, many of which tend to be dry, stale and full of preservatives.
My family is from Switzerland and over there overnight oats is called Muesli (which if said with an American accent is “MOOSE-LEE”). The brand name Mooski, the Moose logo and the Swiss Alpine branding are all a play on “Muesli”.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are a ton of brands I think are crushing it. I’ve always been a fan of Kodiak Cakes - I love their products and their branding is consistently on point. I like MALK Organics a lot from a product perspective - clean and simple ingredients, yet still tastes great. Olilpop solves a real problem, and couples that with great packaging and a great tasting product. And lastly, Coconut Cult is awesome. Having worked in the yogurt category - I appreciate how differentiated the product is, and the texture is out of this world. They also have really creative collaborations with other brands.
As far as people go, I turn to the co-founders of RXBAR. Jared is a recent investor in Mooski and also an advisor - with a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas. I’ve considered Peter Rahal to be a mentor of mine ever since he hired me at RX. He has some of the best instincts when it comes to innovation and product.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry?
What haven’t been the challenges (lol). One of the biggest challenges we experienced so far was self-manufacturing, particular as we began to scale. A lot of our bandwidth and energy went into our self-manufacturing operation - which as a small team pulled attention from other priorities. We just recently moved production to a co-man which really solved for a lot of the problems we were experiencing.
Another challenge is being a perishable brand with relatively little brand awareness. Brands with great awareness get a ton of trial. We haven’t had the luxury of using brand awareness as a lever to drive trial, so a lot of our sales have come from lower funnel tactics (in-store promotions, demos, etc.). Given we’re a perishable product, it’s been a challenge to make sure we are driving trial out the gates at each POD so that consumers are having the freshest and best possible first experience with our product.
What impact has the current economy had on the brand?
Fortunately, not a huge impact so far. From a fundraising perspective we’ve been able to tap into a close network of friends and family + angel investors to help fund the business and give us sufficient runway as we scale.
What were some of the highs/lows from 2023?
We’ve had a lot of highs. To name a few:
Expanded retail footprint out of California with key partners like Foxtrot Market, Fresh Thyme, Harmon’s, and Central Market to name a few.
Launching online grocery with Hungryroot so that anyone can get Mooski delivered straight to their door.
Moving to a co-man in order to improve our capacity, costs and product quality.
Having Jared Smith, co-founder of RXBAR, invest in Mooski
We’ve obviously had some lows as well, but the ones that really come to mind are again tied to self manufacturing, such as the high level of turnover we experienced and equipment breaking down.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
I try to stay really active - going to the gym multiple times week and playing sports like tennis, soccer and skiing when I can.
I try to go to the beach after the “work day” - to just sit with no screens and allow my brain a chance to relax.
I try to really limit my consumption of alcohol - I never drink during the work week and try to save drinking for special occasions.
In CPG, your product is everything
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
Make sure you have a product that can be scaled. Can what you’re doing at small scale and in small batches be replicated at scale? On this note, have conversations with manufacturers / equipment folks very early on in order to gut-check this. If your recipe and concept can’t scale, it won’t work.
Build a team that compliments your skillset. Early employees / co-founders, etc. should be good at what you suck at and fill a real need or void on the team.
Spend as much time in the market and in stores as you can - you’ll find learnings you’d never get behind a computer screen. Also buy your product from the store - I routinely buy product from the stores we’re in, in order to do “quality checks” on the product and get a sense of the exact consumer experience from finding the product through check-out and eating it.
In CPG, your product is everything. Constantly work to make it better and don’t be stubborn or resist changes because they’re difficult or go against the notion of your original vision. Getting REAL feedback and asking for candid feedback is a critical part of this process. Be as quick as possible with continuous improvements as well. Stores / consumers aren’t going to wait around for you.
What foods do you always have on hand?
I lived in France for 4 years and have European parents so our fridge has a bit of a “European influence” to it. We usually have cornichons, raclette cheese, pate, anchovies, etc. in our fridge. Things our friends find weird but I think are delicious.
What trends do you think are here to stay?
I think fresh is here to stay. People are moving towards the perimeter of the store to shop for fresher items across multiple categories (juice, soups, bars, dog food, etc.). Good tasting food trumps everything though. That’s what brings consumers back and drives repeat purchase. Our philosophy is to tap into the trends: fresh, plant-based, etc., but to always keep good taste / texture as our most important priority.
What are your goals for 2024?
Continue to grow Mooski’s retail footprint and launch into big national accounts.
Grow our velocities in the stores we’re in and become a leading refrigerated snack bar from a velocity perspective.
Make Mooski profitable. Given the macroeconomic environment, there’s no longer the luxury of waiting to make your business profitable. One of our single most important priorities is to scale Mooski in a fashion that is also profitable.
Fridge-fresh snacking is hot right now, and doesn't look to be cooling off. The global refrigerated snacks market was valued US$52B in 2021 and is projected to reach US$73.7B by 2028, driven by consumers' growing preference toward natural and fresh food. Step into a grocery store and you'll find products like cookies, donuts, chocolates, yogurts and snack bars.
Which is where Mooski comes in. The first-ever fresh granola bar, these chilled oat bars are made with a "luscious blend of silky smooth Swiss-style overnight oats (Muesli) and creamy nut butter…all covered in dark chocolate." Plant-based, gluten free and only 6 grams of sugar per bar, Mooski is currently available in three flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana and Cookie Dough. Find 'em in select retailers nationwide.
We spoke with Robert to hear about his experience in CPG, how the brand came to be, his approach to work/life balance, and advice for other founders in the food biz. Let's get snacking!
Prior to starting Mooski I was leading brand management for Clio Snacks - the second biggest brand in the refrigerated bar set. My experience working for Clio gave me a better understanding of the inner workings of a perishable food business. Before Clio I held marketing and innovations roles at RXBAR - which is really where I cut my teeth on the product development side and learning the skills needed to create Mooski.
Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
I wanted to create an overnight oat bar - something that was soft and fresh and unlike any of the other oat-based granola bars on the market, many of which tend to be dry, stale and full of preservatives.
My family is from Switzerland and over there overnight oats is called Muesli (which if said with an American accent is “MOOSE-LEE”). The brand name Mooski, the Moose logo and the Swiss Alpine branding are all a play on “Muesli”.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration? Any other brands in the industry that you admire?
There are a ton of brands I think are crushing it. I’ve always been a fan of Kodiak Cakes - I love their products and their branding is consistently on point. I like MALK Organics a lot from a product perspective - clean and simple ingredients, yet still tastes great. Olilpop solves a real problem, and couples that with great packaging and a great tasting product. And lastly, Coconut Cult is awesome. Having worked in the yogurt category - I appreciate how differentiated the product is, and the texture is out of this world. They also have really creative collaborations with other brands.
As far as people go, I turn to the co-founders of RXBAR. Jared is a recent investor in Mooski and also an advisor - with a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas. I’ve considered Peter Rahal to be a mentor of mine ever since he hired me at RX. He has some of the best instincts when it comes to innovation and product.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry?
What haven’t been the challenges (lol). One of the biggest challenges we experienced so far was self-manufacturing, particular as we began to scale. A lot of our bandwidth and energy went into our self-manufacturing operation - which as a small team pulled attention from other priorities. We just recently moved production to a co-man which really solved for a lot of the problems we were experiencing.
Another challenge is being a perishable brand with relatively little brand awareness. Brands with great awareness get a ton of trial. We haven’t had the luxury of using brand awareness as a lever to drive trial, so a lot of our sales have come from lower funnel tactics (in-store promotions, demos, etc.). Given we’re a perishable product, it’s been a challenge to make sure we are driving trial out the gates at each POD so that consumers are having the freshest and best possible first experience with our product.
What impact has the current economy had on the brand?
Fortunately, not a huge impact so far. From a fundraising perspective we’ve been able to tap into a close network of friends and family + angel investors to help fund the business and give us sufficient runway as we scale.
What were some of the highs/lows from 2023?
We’ve had a lot of highs. To name a few:
Expanded retail footprint out of California with key partners like Foxtrot Market, Fresh Thyme, Harmon’s, and Central Market to name a few.
Launching online grocery with Hungryroot so that anyone can get Mooski delivered straight to their door.
Moving to a co-man in order to improve our capacity, costs and product quality.
Having Jared Smith, co-founder of RXBAR, invest in Mooski
We’ve obviously had some lows as well, but the ones that really come to mind are again tied to self manufacturing, such as the high level of turnover we experienced and equipment breaking down.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health - both physical and mental?
I try to stay really active - going to the gym multiple times week and playing sports like tennis, soccer and skiing when I can.
I try to go to the beach after the “work day” - to just sit with no screens and allow my brain a chance to relax.
I try to really limit my consumption of alcohol - I never drink during the work week and try to save drinking for special occasions.
In CPG, your product is everything
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
Make sure you have a product that can be scaled. Can what you’re doing at small scale and in small batches be replicated at scale? On this note, have conversations with manufacturers / equipment folks very early on in order to gut-check this. If your recipe and concept can’t scale, it won’t work.
Build a team that compliments your skillset. Early employees / co-founders, etc. should be good at what you suck at and fill a real need or void on the team.
Spend as much time in the market and in stores as you can - you’ll find learnings you’d never get behind a computer screen. Also buy your product from the store - I routinely buy product from the stores we’re in, in order to do “quality checks” on the product and get a sense of the exact consumer experience from finding the product through check-out and eating it.
In CPG, your product is everything. Constantly work to make it better and don’t be stubborn or resist changes because they’re difficult or go against the notion of your original vision. Getting REAL feedback and asking for candid feedback is a critical part of this process. Be as quick as possible with continuous improvements as well. Stores / consumers aren’t going to wait around for you.
What foods do you always have on hand?
I lived in France for 4 years and have European parents so our fridge has a bit of a “European influence” to it. We usually have cornichons, raclette cheese, pate, anchovies, etc. in our fridge. Things our friends find weird but I think are delicious.
What trends do you think are here to stay?
I think fresh is here to stay. People are moving towards the perimeter of the store to shop for fresher items across multiple categories (juice, soups, bars, dog food, etc.). Good tasting food trumps everything though. That’s what brings consumers back and drives repeat purchase. Our philosophy is to tap into the trends: fresh, plant-based, etc., but to always keep good taste / texture as our most important priority.
What are your goals for 2024?
Continue to grow Mooski’s retail footprint and launch into big national accounts.
Grow our velocities in the stores we’re in and become a leading refrigerated snack bar from a velocity perspective.
Make Mooski profitable. Given the macroeconomic environment, there’s no longer the luxury of waiting to make your business profitable. One of our single most important priorities is to scale Mooski in a fashion that is also profitable.
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