Welcome to Off the Beat, a weekly Q&A with a local business person doing something a little different. Have an idea or pitch that reflects some unusual business activity? Email mneibauer@bizjournals.com.
Radhika Murari is the founder of, for now, the home-based OmMade Peanut Butter. She is currently working with Virginia and Fairfax County to identify a small-scale manufacturing facility.
What was the inspiration for OmMade Peanut Butter? I have been making peanut butter for my son and his friends for many years, but I had never thought of turning it into a business. Then, in January 2017 I was hosting a fundraiser and an acquaintance who was visiting from California was helping me. At some point in the day, she said she was peckish, so I gave her some of my homemade peanut butter with apple slices. As soon as she put the peanut butter in her mouth, her eyes lit up! She said it was the creamiest, tastiest peanut butter she had ever eaten. And then she said, “You should sell this! You are sitting on a goldmine!”
What is your ideal location for a manufacturing facility? I would love to be in a vibrant shopping plaza with lots of other small craft businesses.
Have you seen any changes to your business given that so many kids are home every day? We are seeing a surge in two types of sales. First, people are sending lots of “Thinking of You” gifts to friends and family around the country. Since we can’t visit each other as often as we like, the next best thing we can do is send our friends/family tasty treats. Second, we have lots of families who have standing orders for a case of peanut butter a month. With kids at home, parents need self-serve snacks for the kids. OmMade Peanut Butter plus fruit (strawberries, bananas, and apples seem to be favorites) is the perfect solution. In fact, the demand has been so great that we are going to introduce family-sized jars early next year.
What was your favorite school lunch as a child? My favorite lunch sandwich was a PBH — peanut butter and honey. It was also my son’s favorite school lunch and is the inspiration behind Bee Cosmic, which is made with honey and bee pollen.
What’s the most popular, more exotic OmMade flavor? The hands-down favorite is Coconut Bliss, followed very closely by Chocolate Delight and Chai Nirvana. With 10 vegan, gluten-free flavors, we have something for everyone.
When you move from your home to a manufacturing facility, how much more OmMade will you be able to produce? Right now, we are still making peanut butter in very small batches, which is extremely labor-intensive. When we move into a manufacturing facility, we will be able to install commercial equipment that will produce peanut butter exponentially faster. It will also allow us to lower our prices while maintaining the high quality of our product.
Creamy or crunchy? It depends. Like most of my fellow peanut butter lovers, I prefer creamy for most of our flavors, but crunchy is definitely my preference for Chocolate Delight.
What makes a Virginia peanut special? People may think that I am biased when I say that Virginia peanuts are the tastiest! But, I am a businesswoman and I want to use the best ingredients for my product. Virginia peanuts have a taste and mouthfeel unlike any other peanuts and they make the perfect base for creamy, delicious peanut butter. An added plus is that they are locally-sourced, so we are supporting local, family-owned farms.