First and foremost, a big shoutout and Thank You to everyone who has shown Phun Bar some love this year. Whether it came from a compliment, a passing smile or purchasing a bar, you have helped during the ups and downs of running a small business.
Early in the year our packaging supplier ran out of packages, thus we did too. That increased the pucker factor, for sure. We limped along with some bulk packaging direct to consumers, but it was not a good message to send to the retail supporters that we could not fulfill orders for an unknown period of time. As you have seen, packaging has returned and we are slowly getting back into retail. More on packaging in a bit.
During the great packaging outage of 2024, as rough as it was, it gave me time to focus on some big picture items and build towards the future. For the first two years it was just Me, Myself and I producing, selling and managing the dozen other to-do items. It is now a “we” at the helm. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Christian Chambers! Some of you know I had a 20-year career in the wine business. About 12 years back Christian hired me as a sales rep at one of the wholesalers in town. We reconnected when I launched Phun Bar and this spring he came on board as a business partner. Despite the striking resemblance, we are in fact, not related.
KITCHEN
We moved into a new commissary kitchen that allows us space to scale up production. And there is an office! So all the shit that goes along with the biz is out of my living room; and my wife is happy. Plus, as you read this, custom packaging is in production. The square bar will soon be a rectangle and wrapped in a custom size and custom printed package. Yes, still 100% compostable! When that lands we will be able to use some new equipment and move from 50 bar batches to 100, then to 150.
WHOLESALE
Due to the above mentioned packaging crisis, we did have to pull out of the 30+ retail accounts that were repin’ Phun Bar on the shelves. It has been a slow grind getting back in the space we once occupied due to the many directions a small company gets pulled. If there is not a convenient location near you, ask them to call us. Ask us to call them.
New, custom, sexy packaging is on the way!! This is going to be the springboard for us to go coast to coast with the flava you love the most.
FLAVORS
This year we said goodbye to the OG+CBD. It is still 1950 in the banking world and it's expensive to market and sell CBD products. In walked The Sherpa. The Apricot Chai has warming cardamom and a kick of spicy ginger. Unlike any bar out there. We have a lot of ideas and innovations to drop that will continue to separate us from the competition.
OUTREACH
The big addition of an email marketing campaign really makes it feel like we are growing up. The goal is to use this platform to build community within the sports nutrition world and not waste your time with endless BS sales and “content”. You might have noticed there is a Phun Bar Spotify playlist that you can add your favorite workout song to. We have started a Strava Club too, another outlet for upcoming events and sharing how you use Fuel For Every Element Of Fun. Stay tuned, we have a lot of ideas!
R&D
has been kind to us this year! Jason got to spend 2 weeks on Orcas Island, off the coast of Seattle and tested the goods at sea level running damn near every trail the island has to offer. It felt good to run for phun after training for and completing his first 50 mile run through the Buffalo Creek trail system. Now eyeing a 100k for 2025! Christian has been testing the goods on the bike and surfing in Morocco and Baja. We identify as athletes and are out there grinding so we can keep up with you!