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“I really like the notion that after you fall in love with the meals, you fall in love with the tradition. That is actually what we need to do with SOMOS,” says Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of SOMOS Meals. “There may be usually a blanket strategy in the case of Mexican meals. Lots of the choices at retailers are Americanized variations of Mexican meals. Spoiler alert: Taco salads and chimichangas do not exist in Mexico.”
Miguel Leal began SOMOS along with his co-founders Daniel Lubetzky, founding father of KIND Snacks, and Rodrigo Zuloaga, KIND’s former head of product improvement, who have been all born in Mexico. They began SOMOS for the American client who loves Mexican meals, however is intimidated by tips on how to make it at house.
Leal shared that they’re on a mission to demystify a class that has been binary for thus lengthy: The choices have both been buying elements to make recipes from scratch, which first-generation Mexicans usually do with the assistance of a member of the family, or buying stripped-down choices — Americanized variations of Mexican meals, like laborious shell tacos and taco seasoning packets.
“Mexican delicacies is extraordinarily numerous by area,” says Leal. “The meals I grew up consuming in Monterrey may be very totally different from the meals Daniel grew up consuming in Mexico Metropolis and Rodrigo grew up consuming in Guadalajara. We’re introducing the variety of Mexican delicacies to households with meals they will shortly get on the desk for his or her households.”
In slightly below three years in enterprise, SOMOS is offered at greater than 11,000 retail doorways nationwide, together with Complete Meals Market, Goal, Walmart, HEB, Publix and extra. In 2024, barely over 70% of the model’s spending helps the Mexican group. They produce all of SOMOS merchandise in Mexico, sourcing as many elements as doable in Mexico, and look to companion with Mexican suppliers and distributors. This contains packaging designers, photographers, meals stylists and ingredient suppliers.
Constructing and scaling SOMOS, whereas difficult bias about Mexican meals and tradition, hasn’t been simple. Leal and his co-founders have relied on one another, whereas additionally going again to some fundamental enterprise fundamentals to make sure they’re establishing the enterprise for long-term success. Listed below are three classes Miguel Leal has realized on his technique to constructing SOMOS.
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1. Take note of the accounting particulars
“I want I had paid extra consideration in accounting lessons in enterprise college,” says Leal. “I used to be skilled as an engineer who obtained an MBA and was very targeted on P&L administration. Early on, I used to be chasing progress after I ought to have been extra targeted on profitability.”
Leal urges founders to get into the small print: accounts payable, receivable and the way a lot stock you have got readily available, specializing in enterprise fundamentals. He shares that almost all traders can be all in favour of not simply your gross sales, however your path to profitability. He reminds founders the stability is that rising your stock can require much more money, and to be conscious if you’re chasing the proper metrics. Leal additionally shares that scaling a enterprise for profitability will also be powerful in a market the place rates of interest are so excessive proper now.
“Your stability sheet might be your greatest good friend or your adversary,” says Leal. “My recommendation to founders: Get all the way down to understanding the fundamentals of accounting. Make that stability sheet your greatest good friend.”
2. Meet your clients the place they’re
“Mexican meals is a $68 billion addressable market, but 82% of the consumption is occurring in eating places,” says Leal. “While you stroll the aisles in grocery shops, you may see there hasn’t been lots of innovation within the Mexican set in years. We all know SOMOS can fill that hole, providing Mexican meals that celebrates greens, grains and legumes.”
One of many early classes Leal recollects is how the co-founders have been selecting to call their merchandise. “After we first launched SOMOS, one of many merchandise we have been most enthusiastic about have been our ‘pea-cadillos,’ a plant-based protein various to my favourite picadillo that my mother would make for me on my birthday every year,” says Leal. “Not solely does the common American not know what picadillo is, by calling it ‘pea-cadillo,’ to reference the pea-protein within the product, we thought we have been being intelligent when actually, we have been simply complicated our client.”
It was an essential reminder that when a client is strolling down the aisles of a grocery retailer or scrolling on their telephone, they’re making buy selections inside a few seconds. It was one other fundamental enterprise elementary Leal and his co-founders leaned into. For future merchandise, Leal and his crew made the naming and particulars clear whereas remaining true to their Mexican heritage.
“Meet your clients the place they’re,” says Leal. “Make it simple for them to grasp what your product is, tips on how to use it and in the end resolve to purchase it.”
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3. Constructing a enterprise with others can leverage totally different strengths
Leal, Lubetzky and Zuloaga all crossed paths at KIND Snacks. After their time collectively at KIND Snacks, they parted methods and realized they hadn’t talked to one another in over a 12 months. They missed their friendship and missed constructing collectively.
“I really feel very lucky to be on this journey with Rodrigo and Daniel,” says Leal. “Rodrigo comes from a household of cooks and is an extremely gifted product innovator. I love Daniel’s management type and the tradition he constructed at KIND. And I’m captivated with connecting all of the dots and executing. Collectively, all of us convey totally different strengths to the desk.”
As they proceed to construct SOMOS, their friendships have been strengthened. And this time round, they’re spending extra time with one another’s households, who additionally convey totally different abilities and experience. One in all Lubetzky’s relations got here up with the title for the model, which suggests “we’re” in Spanish. Rodrigo’s household has weighed in on the event of SOMOS’s Mexican Chili Crisp product, a.ok.a. salsa macha, and considered one of Miguel’s relations commonly shares concepts for the model’s social media technique.
“We undoubtedly do not agree on every thing, however we all the time respect one another’s opinions. That is what makes us stronger,” says Leal. “Completely different views lead to the most effective concepts. On the finish of the day, it isn’t about who is true or flawed; all of us simply need to see SOMOS succeed.”
