The time has come... the time to taste the crunch of Weber's Brand. Weber's Mustard Chips, in partnership with New York Chips, have officially launched!
It all started with a simple phone call.
Luke Desmond, Vice President and part of the 4th generation of Weber's Brand, began working full time in the office on July 10th, 2023. Desmond chose to spend his first week examining company financials and product movement to help determine what is needed most for Weber's. Desmond explains "my dad gave me free range on what I wanted to do with the company. He told me to take my time, but at the end of the first week I wanted to do something more... that's when I placed my first phone call."
Prior to the call, Desmond was scouring the internet, looking for something interesting and innovative to put out to the public. He thought "...what if we did a collaboration with another local brand. Lots of companies do that today, right?" He then came across New York Chips, a potato and chip company out of Gainesville, New York. That's when the faint idea struck - "What if we did a Weber's Mustard Chip?"
Marquart Farms is the mastermind behind New York Spuds and New York Chips. The Marquart family have been farming in Wyoming County since 1943 and have been growing potatoes since 1974. Since then, they have had a very successful spud company, producing New York grown potatoes for major retailers across the state. Over the last decade, New York Spuds wanted to branch off, and that's when New York Chips was founded.
New York Chips was a way to help market their potato farms to gain more retail locations, but none of the Marquart family knew how truly special their chips would be. They began doing collaboration chips with other local brands. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Anchor Bar were immediate hits across New York State.
"Once I read through their website, I knew I had to contact them" Desmond explains. "I was nervous though...you see all the time in movies that the business world is ruthless and just cares about making money." As nervous as he was, Desmond placed the call and spoke with Chad Heeb, VP/COO of New York Chips and New York Spuds. Heeb was immediately interested and was looking to fill one last spot in their product lineup. The two of them set up an in-person meeting 2 weeks from then and excitement began to flourish.
"I remember walking out of my dad's office with a huge grin and wanting to tell him right away. I asked him 'how long did it take you to gain your first business?' He stared at me and said 'I was in the middle of rebuilding a company that was nearly out of business, so I don't remember.' I proceeded to say 'well, I just scheduled my first meeting... we may be making a Weber's Mustard Chip."
2 weeks later, the meeting was had...and the rest is history.
Weber's Mustard Chips began hitting store shelves on March 27th. New York Chips emphasizes that it will take some time to get into every retail location, but they are optimistic. By the end of May, they hope to see Weber's Mustard Chips in major retail stores like Tops Friendly Markets, Wegmans, and Walmart. Furthermore, Weber's Mustard Chips are the first New York Chips line to hit every Tops Friendly Markets and every Wegmans location at launch. "We are so excited for everyone to try these chips! We think the Buffalo region will go nuts once they see them on shelves. It's amazing how much the chips actually taste like our Horseradish Mustard" Desmond says.
If you would like to mail order Weber's Mustard Chips, they will soon be available on New York Chips' website. Click here to find them!
Be sure to grab yourself a bag to taste the crunch of Weber's Brand!
2 comments
These chips sound delightful. When will they be available? We always have Webers in our home!
I grew up in Akron ,N.Y. and I grew up on Weber’s Mustard . I retired to Canton, Ga. I still order my Weber’s online 12 jars at a time ! I’m hoping I can figure out how to order your new Chips . Keep up the good work ! Ralph !