Walls lined with bags of crunchy and flavorful potato chips are every college student’s dream, and for recent NC State graduate, Josh Monahan, this snack lover’s paradise turned into a business. Carolina Kettle, a brand of 1 in 6 snacks, has a new brick and mortar store at 5205 Hillsborough Street. The store stands ready to sell six different flavors of kettle-cooked potato chips to the local Raleigh community and ready to donate five cents from each sale to a local food bank.
The Carolina Kettle retail store, which opened in June, started out as a warehouse space to fulfill existing online orders. However, a little bit of extra space led to an idea for a retail spot and after a couple weeks of painting and shelf construction, Monahan had his very first store.
“When people ask where they can find the chips it’s really easy now to refer them to the retail store on Hillsborough Street,” Monahan said.
Inside those shelves are six different flavors of gluten free, trans fat-free and 100% sunflower oil-cooked kettle chips. Their distinct crunch comes in Bee Sting Honey Sriracha, Southern Twang Salt and Vinegar, the “Mama Gin” Dill Pickle, Down East Carolina BBQ, Outer Banks Sea Salt and Cozumel Jalapeño Queso.
“My favorite is the salt and vinegar chip, but all the flavors are good,” Monahan said.
Growing up with parents in the snack food industry, specifically peanut roasting, Monahan was led down his own unique snack path. After discovering that one in every six people in America are unsure of where their next meal will come from, the idea to donate five cents of every bag sold to local foods banks became a starting point for the company.
Currently, the brand Carolina Kettle is sold in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia, and the donations go to the Central and Eastern North Carolina food banks.
Breaking into the snack business as a brand new company is no small task, but Monahan learned the ins and outs of his parents’ company, The Peanut Roasters, and knew how to appeal to the right crowd.
“Peanuts and chips are similar because we sell to a lot of the same customers.” Monahan said.
“Finding a two-ounce bag of Carolina Kettle chips is even easier for students because the C-stores and Talley Market sell the signature brand. The website also sells bags online for delivery and each day regular orders are shipped out.”
Kayla Clark, a second-year studying political science, is one of the many students who recognized the packaging from campus stores.
“I kept seeing it [chips] in Talley and looked it up,” Clark said. “I think it’s really cool that the brand donates to food banks, and on top of that, also tastes really good.”
Inside the Hillsborough Street location, a Southern atmosphere waits to greet customers. In addition to the light and flavorful chips, the store also sells creatively-designed T-shirts. One features a bag of kettle chips surfing a wave, with its delicious contents spilling out. A dollar from each T-shirt sale goes to a food bank as well.
Carolina Kettle made a week-long appearance at the State Fair this past week. The State Fair is known for their use of local vendors and fun snack foods, which gave Carolina Kettle the perfect location to meet new customers.
