“Table Talk” With the Founder of Sour Strips: Building the Sour Candy Brand That Led to a Sweet Deal

In their next episode of Table Talk, an ongoing series to explore industry trends and issues with business owners in the food and beverage space, LP Partner Kevin Slaughter and Thomas DeMinico of BMO Capital Markets hosted Maxx Chewning, founder of Sour Strips, which was acquired by Hershey in 2024. They discuss Maxx’s experience building and selling the sour candy brand, including:

• Getting pricing right — and how to pivot if you initially get it wrong

• The importance of truly understanding your customer’s cravings

• How to scale, and how to translate obstacles into opportunities for growth

• The trial and error of finding the right manufacturer

• How to know when you are ready to sell the brand

• Taking the sour with the sweet in the due diligence process during an acquisition

• The advice Maxx gives all young entrepreneurs who want to start a business

Watch the full interview here.

Listen to this interview on Spotify.