Smackin founders Cole Schaefer and Brian Waddick started making small-batch, flavor-forward sunflower seeds in their college dorm room in 2018. What started as a passion project exploded into a viral sensation when they gained traction on TikTok.

By 2023, they had expanded to 250 stores, but their next challenge was scaling rapidly into convenience stores—the perfect channel for their on-the-go snacking proposition.