In today’s #FoodForThoughtPodcast​ Nick Saltarelli, co-founder of Mid-DaySquares talks about disrupting the status quo in the #foodmanufacturing​ industry. Mid-Day Squares launched in 2018 with the intention of building out their own chocolate manufacturing plant and keeping the entire manufacturing process in-house.  Their chocolate bars are 100% organic, gluten-free, plant protein-packed, fiber-rich, and functional. As the founders of Mid-Day Squares like to say, "Everything A Chocolate Bar Isn't, Everything A Protein Bar Wishes It Was."  

Dive into all thing’s product development and manufacturing strategy with EnWave Corporation’s podcast host Mike Wilkes.

Episode Highlights:  ► [ 3:40​ ] Take us back to the day when you decided to build out your own chocolate manufacturing facility and decided to not use a co-manufacturing partner?  

► [ 7:10​ ] Why are so many food founders scared of building and scaling in-house manufacturing?   

► [ 9:25​ ] How did Mid-Day Squares scale with demand in mind from manual processes to automation?  

► [ 12:18​ ] Why do most products on the shelf end up looking the same? How did Mid-Day Squares keep differentiation?   

► [ 14:37​ ] What is the message to people looking to build their own company (food or other)?  

► [ 19:55​ ] When you were in your kitchen and developing your first product ... when did you decide this was commercially viable?  

► [ 22:37​ ] Did you start at the pricepoint and move backwards or was the pricing a function of the market?  

► [ 24:48​ ] You go above and beyond with your own branding and the customer experience. What does that team look like? 

► [ 27:24​ ] You share things with your audiences that are normally kept behind closed doors. What inspired this transparency and authenticity?  

► [ 31:30​ ] Who have been some of your mentors or role models along the way?  

► [ 35:11​ ] What's next for Mid-Day Squares?   ► [ 37:04​ ] Where is the best place for people to find and try Mid-Day Squares?  

► [ 37:48​ ] As someone who lives and breaths food all day, how do you re-connect with Food on a personal level?