NEW YORK  — Stacy’s Pita Chips, which was acquired by PepsiCo, Inc. in 2006 for $250 million, has been a leader in the pita chip category. Now there is Zesty Z adding zest to the category.

Zesty Z’s mother-and-son co-founders Alexander Harik and Lorraine George-Harik’s goal entering the category was to launch a “better-for-you” product that was “high fiber, lower carb and twice baked from fresh made pita bread.”

“We launched the perfect pita chips in April of 2024 and our motto is, ‘Finally, a new pita chip,’” said Alexander Harik. “For us, being the David versus Goliath for the startup underdog, Stacy’s holds over 60% of the market, but that dominance signals opportunity to us. We studied other concentrated categories and brands that have been successfully disrupted in them. Approachable innovation, low education, and timing were the key. The baked chip category has seen little innovation or competition in over 20 years, and we believe it’s time for something new — and better.

“We aim to become the leading alternative to Stacy’s and the No. 2 pita chip in the category. It won’t be easy, but we’re confident we can sell a lot of chips by converting existing customers and growing the category.”

Zesty Z is the family’s second startup. Their first company Zesty Z: The Za’atar Co., a bootstrapped startup that manufactured Za’atar-inspired condiments that launched in March 2016, was shut down due to issues related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The founders pivoted to snacking and first tried Mediterranean-inspired popcorn, which was short lived because popcorn was a “tough category with a lot of competitors and undifferentiated products,” Harik said.

Almost giving up, Harik said he spoke with distributors and retailers as a last shot effort and some asked if he could make a pita chip?  

That marked the beginning of the company’s “pita chip pivot.”

“We saw a category with limited competition, dominated by a single brand,” Harik said. “Then we realized pita chips are typically placed in the deli area — next to dips, fresh foods, and higher foot traffic — we knew that was the spot to win. Our bold packaging also pops there. That insight drove us to dive into product development, keep self-funding, and bring the idea to life.”

Zesty Z founders Alexander Harik and Lorraine George-Harik wanted offer a “better-for-you” pita chip with high fiber and lower carbohydrates to play against Stacy’s Pita Chips.

Photo: Zesty ZHarik said he noticed other pita chip companies manufactured their products similarly to crackers.

“Ours resembles an actual pita,” he said. “You will see double layers on our chips and you will see flame grill marks on both sides. You’ll see curved edges of the chip because an actual pita is made in a circle then it’s cut out. So, the pita puffs up and then it comes down and it bakes. Then we bake it again and then we cut it up, season it and finish cutting it.”

Zesty Z is offered in two varieties including sea salt and Parmesan garlic and is sold in the deli department in retailers.

“We’re focusing on (starting) in the Midwest in (the) retail wholesale channel in conventional channels, Amazon and our website,” Harik said. “Too many founders focus only on the coasts. But the Midwest offers a lower cost of entry, has bigger store formats with deli sections, and a critical mass of everyday consumers. If we want to scale, this product has to work in the Midwest — not just on the East or West Coast. That’s one of the biggest lessons I took from my first time around in consumer packaged goods (CPG.)”

While Harik did not launch the product with a focus on it being “diabetic or Ozempic friendly,” he said he learned during the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo held by the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietitians, Zesty Z’s products are “diabetic-friendly.”

“When we launched, we weren’t thinking about the 30 million to 40 million people expected to be on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or the diabetes community — we just wanted to create an authentic, better-for-you snack that everyone could enjoy,” Harik said. “But then we started hearing from early customers at the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo, I spoke with dietitians and nutritionists who kept bringing it up: the high fiber, the lower carbs — it might make sense for people managing blood sugar. That’s when it clicked. There could be a huge niche of consumers looking for snacks that fit their lifestyle — but they still want quality, crunch, and fun flavors. That’s where we come in.”

Zesty Z pita chips feature 14 net carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 100 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat and 8% sodium per serving.

“… Fiber after protein is the most requested attribute I hear from retail buyers …,” Harik said. “You’ve seen a number of fiber-only products launch on the market so we’re on to something with gut health and fiber.”

Since launching in 2024, Zesty Z has been bootstrapped. The startup has opened a pre-seed funding round, which is anticipated to close this summer, with a goal of raising approximately $200,000, Harik said.

The company received its first investment of $35,000 from FirstLook, a venture capital firm that connects early-stage companies with investors using a monthly subscription box.

“We aim to use these funds to support our Midwest go-to-market plan and develop a retail playbook for future retail deployment,” Harik said. 

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