How Chomps Became America’s Favorite Meat Stick: Lessons From a $660M Brand

erging brands represent only 2% of the U.S. food market, but they drove 40% of the category’s growth last year. This shows that small, focused brands are outpacing legacy giants, and big food companies are taking notice.

One of the clearest examples is Chomps.

The Wall Street Journal recently featured Chomps, which grew from $70 million in revenue in 2021 to about $660 million today. This growth far surpasses competitors like Slim Jim. Such rapid progress is no accident.

So, what did Chomps do to succeed?

1. Hyper-Targeted Community Building

Chomps focused on a specific group first instead of trying to appeal to everyone. They began with the CrossFit community.

CrossFitters already valued:

• High protein
• Clean ingredients
• Functional nutrition

This made CrossFitters natural early adopters. Chomps also showed a strong strategy by noticing who was actually buying their products. They found that about 70% of their customers were women, which was a key insight in a category usually marketed to men.

After this, Chomps changed its messaging to better fit its audience:

• Cleaner branding
• Family-friendly positioning
• Language that emphasized health, convenience, and quality over “extreme” masculinity

This approach is similar to brands like Athletic Greens and Oura Ring. They started with a niche, listened to their customers, and adjusted their positioning based on real data.

2. Influencer Strategy That Actually Made Sense

Instead of seeking big celebrity endorsements, Chomps worked with mom influencers and wellness creators who already had their audience’s trust.

These partnerships worked because:

• The product fit naturally into daily life (school lunches, road trips, gym bags)
• Influencers were not just selling; they were showing how they used the product
• The content felt practical, not aspirational

This is similar to how brands like Ritual and Bobbie Baby Formula grew. They became part of daily routines instead of relying on hype. They just do influencer marketing.

They approached influencer marketing with discipline.

3. Disciplined Distribution, Not Rapid Expansion

One of Chomps’ smartest moves was saying no many times.

They stayed e-commerce-only for an extended period, which allowed them to:

• Control the brand experience
• Gather first-party customer data
• Avoid margin pressure from early retail deals

When they decided to expand, they did so with clear intention:

• Regional retail first
• Selective partnerships
• Clear alignment with brand values

Chomps waited almost 10 years after founding before moving into mass retail. That kind of patience is rare, but it paid off.

This is different from brands that enter big-box retail too soon and then struggle with sales, pricing pressure, and brand dilution.

4. Riding Cultural and Diet Shifts

Over the years, they aligned naturally with:

• Keto
• Paleo
• Clean eating
• High-protein diets
• The rise of GLP-1 medications, where consumers prioritize protein and portion-controlled snacks

Chomps chose not to rebrand for every new trend. The core product remained the same: real meat, simple ingredients, and high protein. This steady approach helped the brand feel authentic, even as diet trends changed.

Rather than chasing buzzwords, Chomps let different consumer groups find the product in their own way, whether they followed keto, paleo, clean eating, or high-protein lifestyles. The brand kept its core promise, which made it durable and not tied to any one trend.

This is similar to how RXBAR and Fairlife remained strong as nutrition trends changed.

5. Relentless Operational Focus

One of the most overlooked reasons for Chomps’ success is their focus.

For roughly 13 years, Chomps essentially had one core product — and they obsessed over getting it right.

Instead of launching endless SKUs, they:

• Listened closely to customer feedback
• Introduced new flavors thoughtfully
• Expanded use cases without changing the core promise

A good example is Chomplings, which was made for kids. This helped the brand reach new households while keeping its identity.

This level of focus is what sets lasting brands apart from those that just follow trends.

Why Chomps Is Succeeding While Older Brands Struggle

Chomps didn’t outspend incumbents like Slim Jim.

They listened better, stayed more focused, and executed more effectively.They proved that:

• Niche beats mass in the early stages
• Community beats awareness
• Patience beats premature scale

As big food companies rush to acquire or merge with brands like Chomps, the lesson is clear. The future of food belongs to brands that start small, stay focused, and grow alongside their customers, not ahead of them.

So what do you think?

What else do you think Chomps has done well to become America’s new favorite meat stick?