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In this Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A, mother and daughter Elisabeth and Gina Galvin introduce themselves, the duo behind artisanal snack company Stellar Snacks. Elisabeth Galvin is also the founder of the snack brand Delyse, which started as a side business in an old CVS and then grew into a leading provider of gourmet snack products. Today, Delyse serves national airlines including American Airlines and JetBlue, and Stellar Snacks is present in various grocery stores across the country and online retailers, providing inflight snacks for Alaska Airlines.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Stellar Snacks. Gina Galvin, left; Elisabeth Galvin, right.
What was your everyday professional life like when you founded Delyse part-time?
In the 90s I moved to the USA from the south of France and pursued my dream of becoming an entrepreneur in America. Since I spoke virtually no English at the time, I enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Nevada, Reno to study. I took 20 credits and had a full schedule of courses ranging from English as a Second Language to communications and advanced mathematics. My days were filled with teaching and learning. In the evenings I found solace in the kitchen, where I cooked with the nostalgic flavors of my homeland – which always brought me immense happiness.
When did you found Delyse and where did you find the inspiration for it?
One of my favorite snacks that I made myself was French chocolates based on my family's recipe. These are roasted and candy-coated peanuts that we often enjoy on the beach in southern France (called Chaud-Chaud pralines). They were some of my favorites and I couldn't find anything like them here in the US. I perfected the recipe at home and loved sharing this delicacy with my American friends – who loved the taste. One day I was invited to a 4th of July party and wanted to bring something unique – so of course I brought these nuts. That was the day a spark ignited. My snacks were a huge hit at the party and caught the attention of two attendees in particular, the CEO of Reno Air and his wife, a celebrity food stylist. They asked me if I could make my chocolates for Reno Air and become their signature snack! They asked me, “Can you do it?” My answer was, “How long do I have?” To which he replied, “Can you do it in three months?” At that moment, I took it into my head and said yes him: “Absolutely. I'll make it.”
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side business off the ground?
I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity to be successful. I ordered three authentic copper cauldrons from Italy to perfect my craft. They were too big for my kitchen, so I started frying in my garage while I looked for a larger location. I secured permits, received a business license and founded my company, “Delyse Inc” (a play on the French word “delicious”). Since I was still a full-time student at UNR, I started selling the chocolates on campus and at games. Since my English was still in its infancy, I affectionately named the snack line “Thoz Nuts” (exactly how I pronounced it in my accent) and designed the brand and packaging. Thoz Nuts gained traction, becoming a favorite at local delis and specialty stores and selling out at my booth at sporting events. I realized there was a demand and now it was time to expand my production capacity. I found a location that used to be a CVS store and made a deal with the landlord (who became a popular mentor). He said: “The rent is $700 a month. You can start paying me when you make money.” I still remember proudly paying my first month. It was the first check I wrote from my Delyse checkbook!
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side business and how did you overcome them?
In addition to balancing my course load with my startup, my biggest business challenge was taking out loans from vendors and suppliers and obtaining equipment financing. I opened a bank account with a credit card that had a credit limit of $500. This allowed me to start prepaying my suppliers. After gaining their trust and proving my performance, I was able to set loan terms of 30 net loans, which is ultimately what you need to scale a business. When starting from scratch, it can often take three years to get credit, and I was lucky enough to do it in three months. Another challenge was finding employees. In my communications class I had a lot of classmates from the baseball team and I was able to convince them to work with me because it was good training – frying is a lot of work and a very hot environment. Then I hired my first full-time employee, who still works for me 30 years later.
How long did it take for you to achieve consistent monthly sales? How much did the side hustle make?
Once I had all the equipment installed and up and running, it took two months before I started generating income. I sold Thoz Nuts for $1 per bag and 1,000 bags per game. Every single football game was sold out. In the third month, Reno Air made good on its promise and brought Thoz Nuts on board. I started by making 20,000 bags per week at $0.50 per unit. In its first fiscal year in 1992, Delyse earned about $800,000. Reno Air was in full expansion and adding new destinations, and I grew along with it, especially during the early popularization of Silicon Valley and new flight routes to the Bay Area. In 1995 I came up with the new idea of selling advertising space directly on my bags to offer to airlines as a free snack and gain new business. This created a stir in the travel industry and attracted airline customers such as United, American Airlines, American Eagle, Northwest Airlines, Skywest and many on-site airport venues. I've worked with famous brands who liked the concept of reaching a sophisticated audience of travelers and creating a captive audience for the ads. Some of these notable brands included American Express, Motorola, Ty Warner, AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy, General Motors, Newsweek, Book of the Month and AT&T. This development took Delyse to the next level, earning around $3 million per year. This demonstrated our ability to deliver on time and at scale and really put my company on the map.
What do growth and sales look like now?
While we stopped [offering] Thoz Nuts on airlines due to the increase in severe peanut allergies, Delyse continued to grow and supply commercial aviation partners with other snack packs, trail mixes and most importantly pretzels. Then in 2018, my main supplier closed its factory in California, leaving a complete void for pretzel makers on the West Coast. It was a crisis for Delyse and many other companies. I decided to take my destiny into my own hands and open a pretzel bakery. This is how Stellar Snacks was born – a second company I founded with my daughter Gina, who was in college at the time. She double majored in marketing and women's studies while also helping me with brand design after classes and her internship. Within five months, our bakery was up and running and Delyse began offering our custom-made Stellar Snacks pretzels, first to United Airlines, then to Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue. Our Stellar Snacks store distribution also grew from local stores to the West Coast and then to national accounts.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Stellar Snacks
What do growth and sales look like now?
Delyse Inc. and Stellar Snacks both continue to be successful. Our pretzels are served to hundreds of millions of passengers each year, carried in thousands of grocery retailers from coast to coast, and loved by a loyal fan base. Our sales have exceeded eight figures, a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation.
What do you enjoy most about working as a mother-daughter team?
Gina and I share an unparalleled bond of trust and unwavering support, and we foster a collaborative environment where ideas thrive and challenges are overcome together.
What advice do you have for others who want to start a successful side hustle or their own full-time business?
Create a compelling business plan and make sure you land your first customer before taking the plunge to cover your overhead costs. Entrepreneurs are risk takers, and it's okay if you don't have everything under control because clarity comes naturally. Learn from people you trust, surround yourself with committed team members who understand “startup mode”, study your industry, collect valuable data and cultivate real partnerships with your suppliers, banks and customers by being honest, transparent and sharing your vision to sow the seeds of success. It really does take a village, and the people who know your story will want to support and see your growth. Although the journey has its challenges, the fulfillment that comes from pursuing your passion is immeasurable. Believe in yourself and your mission.
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