Sample products from diverse businesses at Schnucks

ST. LOUIS — Customers this weekend will have a chance to sample products from locally owned and diverse businesses across five Schnucks stores.

The 10 participating businesses are part of the grocer’s first Springboard Accelerator class. Shoppers can now purchase their products at a designated shelf at 15 Schnucks locations.

On Saturday, samplings will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. at Schnucks Richmond Center, from 1-2:30 p.m. at Schnucks Des Peres and from 4-5:30 at Schnucks Richardson Road.

Samplings on Sunday will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. at Schnucks Edwardsville and from 1:30-3 p.m. at Schnucks Cross Keys.

The program provides education and resources to local and diverse-owned businesses, which were selected in partnership with Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council.

“It was nice to have Schnucks to bring me on board, walk me through the processes,” said Christopher Bonty, owner of MO Taste.

His business offers original spice blends, rubs and sauces that are preservative and gluten free. Growing up as a Schnucks customer, Bonty said he continues to shop at the local grocer to nurture his family.

He started cooking at the age of 10 alongside his grandma and dad.

“I make food for my entire family, so I’ve been making custom dishes for a variety of diet types for years,” he said, noting that a family member is intolerant to gluten.

Before launching in 2020, he would make a variety of spice blends and sauces for friends, family and coworkers.

While MO Taste began with just Bonty, he has been collaborating with his grandfather and wife, in addition to partnering with his grandfather-in-law on a seafood blend.

“It’s really special to have that ability to reach out to generations of family and collaborate on the things that we’ve been doing forever,” Bonty said.

Bonty said the Schnucks Springboard Accelerator program helped him learn about distribution, delivery and other insights.

“It really opened my eyes to a whole different area of business. I always had plans to get into grocery, but it’s kind of one of those things that it’s not an easy path to travel,” he said. “This program is definitely a great one.”

Bonty thanked his family, friends and supporters.

Illinois native, Terry Payton, has his PhatHead BBQ Sauce products on the Springboard shelf. He always had a knack for cooking like many of his family members.

While his sauces were in a variety of mom and pop stores prior, Payton said the Schnucks Accelerator taught him marketing, in addition to accountability.

“I just took everything that I learned in those classes and brought it back into the business,” he said. “Just to be a part of it is so great because … it opened up so many doors for other opportunities to help us more forward.

Payton’s business also has its own Sauce Shop where customers can purchase not only PhatHead sauces, but also other locally owned products.

Some advice he has for other entrepreneurs is to not give up.

“Just go out and try. If you got a got a product and you want to get it out there, start now,” Payton said.

He thanked Schnucks for the chance to participate in the program.

Another product on the Springboard shelf is Show Me The World, a mission based coffee company.

The mission is to support St. Louis-area youth in under-resourced communities with life-changing, educational experiences, according to co-owner Sylvester Chisom.

“We take them out of the country to coffee producing places like Costa Rica to expand their worldview,” he said, noting that they also learn about entrepreneurship, marketing and branding.

Thirty students from University High School and Kairos Academies recently came back from a trip to Costa Rica where they worked on their entrepreneurial skills, learned how to roast coffee and more.

Chisom and Samantha Luri-Carroll decided to their nonprofit into a mission-based coffee company eight years ago during a trip to Costa Rica while on a coffee farm.

“We learned some of the best coffee in the world came from there. And we said ‘What if we were able to bring this into our programing to support our youth, but then also to bring back the joy of this amazing coffee that comes from Costa Rica?’ ”

Having the coffee in Schnucks has been “a dream come true,” Chisom said, as he grew up shopping at Schnucks with his mom and continues to be a customer at the Ladue location.

For his family, friends and community to see their brand has been “amazing,” he said.

The products by the 10 businesses only are available through mid-May as part of the trial period. Afterward, Schnucks will evaluate customer-demand and sales of each product to determine a permanent placement.   

“This would be huge for us to be permanently on the shelves in Schnucks. We believe that our coffee is amazing,” Chisom said. “The feedback’s been great, but it would be deeply impactful to the work that we’re doing. Every bag sold fuels that impact for our Saint Louis youth right here in our community.”

Chisom thanked all of their day-one supporters.