How a Cold DM to a Top Chef Built a Nationwide Food Brand

🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates: ‪@thesinuatemedia‬ What started as a nerdy Instagram message about flour-to-egg ratios quickly blossomed into a booming CPG partnership. Serial entrepreneur Sean Knecht teamed up with Top Chef alum Joe Sasto to transform a unique restaurant pop-up dish—"Pasta Nachos"—into Tantos, the market's first puffed pasta chip. ------------------ In Episode 70 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Sean Knecht about his wild journey of launching and scaling Tantos. Sean details the exact playbook he used to turn a cold DM into a retail success story in just 24 months, sharing how the duo navigated limited inventory drops, secured major wholesale accounts, and built a supply chain designed to scale from the very beginning. Watch to learn: 📱How to leverage grassroots networking and a simple cold DM to forge a powerful co-founder relationship. 🚀 The social media "inventory drop" strategy that sold out their first 500 units in just 13 minutes. 🏭 Why refusing to pay a $25,000 consultant fee led Sean to a mentor who helped him build a highly scalable co-packing supply chain. ✈️ How landing early, massive accounts like JetBlue and Cost Plus World Market helped fuel their manufacturing minimums. 🛒 The strategic shift from expensive social media ads to utilizing Instacart to drive critical in-store velocity. Whether you are trying to find the right manufacturing partner or looking to scale your retail distribution nationwide, Sean breaks down the exact plays needed to build a resilient and predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Tantos: 🌐 Website: https://www.eattantos.com/ 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ #recipetorevenue #tantos #cpg #foodentrepreneurship #retailsuccess #supplychain #startupgrowth #networking #brandbuilding