ONOIN: Chopped & Flavored Onions - Packed in 100% Olive Oil. No knives required.
- KLS
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
For the 235th feature of our "Together Talks" campaign, we collaborated with ONOIN and Founder, Marc Brown. Meet ONOIN [on-o-in]: Chopped onions in 100% olive oil. Simply place it ON or IN any of your favorite foods.
"Together Talks" feature # 235: ONOIN presented by KLS - Your Trusted Shipping Solutions In The USA
What separates you from your competition? What have been the biggest challenges? Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur? What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most? Share a decision that you made that was detrimental? What is your why?
Story of how it was created?
I’m a food scientist, and over the past couple of years, I became a dad. That experience made me realize there had to be an easier way to cook at home.
When I looked at products on the market, there were what I’d call “helper tools”—fresh-cut onions, jarred garlic, and similar items. They all solved small parts of the problem, but nothing truly delivered what I was looking for, which was a way to combine multiple steps into one simple solution.
That realization led me, given my background, to create Onoin. At its core, it’s similar to jarred garlic—but for onions—with added seasonings and functionality built in. It’s designed to be an all-in-one solution that simplifies cooking without sacrificing quality.
What separates you from your competition?
There are quite a few companies operating in adjacent spaces. On the more traditional side, you have legacy players like B&G and Cento, who specialize in marinated vegetables like artichokes, peppers, and olives.
The closest comparison would be Spice World. They offer a squeeze onion product, but it represents a very small portion of their portfolio—their primary focus is chopped garlic. There are also several other brands in that garlic-centric space, including Sophia, Christopher Ranch, Great Garlic, and Polaner.
The key difference is that no one is truly focusing on onions in the way I am.
If you look at grocery trends, fresh chopped onions in-store have very high velocity. You can see across grocery stores, bodegas, and delis that fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are taking up more and more cooler space. That’s because consumers are actively seeking easier ways to prepare and consume healthier food.
My product sits directly in that gap—bringing convenience, consistency, and versatility to one of the most commonly used ingredients in cooking.
What have been the biggest challenges?
The biggest challenge is education.
This isn’t a beverage or a snack—categories that require virtually zero explanation. Anytime you introduce a grocery product that requires even a small amount of education, you’re starting at a disadvantage.
The challenge has been helping consumers immediately understand what the product is and how to use it. The encouraging part is that once they do, they love it and continue buying it.
To address this, I anchor the product to something familiar—jarred garlic. That’s why I consistently reference it. Ideally, the product is placed in the produce section, but if not, it sits in the center store alongside chopped garlic.
The logic is simple: if a consumer understands why they’re buying jarred garlic, they can easily understand a jarred onion product sitting right next to it.
Beyond that, there are the standard operational challenges—distributors, brokers, out-of-stocks—but those are industry-wide and not unique to my brand. Education, however, remains the most significant hurdle.
Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
In the short term—over the next three to six months—the focus is on solidifying our position in the markets we’ve already entered.
New York City, in many ways, is the battleground for CPG, similar to how San Francisco is for tech. There’s a dense concentration of brands, distributors, and independent retailers. The priority is to establish a strong foothold, prove velocity, validate product-market fit, refine merchandising strategy, and gather meaningful consumer data.
From there, the next step is expansion. We’ve already received interest from additional retailers, but I want to fully understand purchasing behavior, usage occasions, and consumer patterns before scaling nationally.
Beyond retail expansion, the next phases include:
1. Channel Expansion
Taking the existing product into foodservice—meal kits like Blue Apron, institutional use, restaurants, cafeterias, and eventually manufacturing applications.
2. Product Line Extensions
This includes new flavors, combinations, and form factors. For example, different textures—rough chop, mince, or paste—similar to what you see in the chopped garlic category.
3. Long-Term Vision: Pantry Expansion
The broader vision is what I’d call a “pantry takeover.” That means entering adjacent categories—dressings, marinades, dips, soups, and more.
Anything that reasonably uses onions can carry the brand. The goal is to become synonymous with clean-label culinary convenience, while Onoin remains the foundation of that vision.
What were your concerns to transition to starting your own business?
I’ve spent my entire career in the food industry, across R&D, operations, and manufacturing.
At my previous company—a publicly traded business—I could see performance in real time, and it wasn’t trending well. At the same time, I had one child and another on the way, and I had always wanted to build something of my own.
While financial upside is certainly a factor—food companies can achieve high valuations—it wasn’t my primary motivation. I was more driven by the desire to build something for myself rather than contributing to someone else’s success.
I got an early taste of startup life at Clio Snacks, where I was employee number eight. That experience showed me how a company scales from the ground up. Combined with my time at Danone, where I saw large-scale operations and best practices, I had a well-rounded perspective.
The fears, however, were the same as any entrepreneur:
Will this work? Will I succeed? Do I know enough? Is this the right time?
Imposter syndrome is real, but I leaned on my strengths. I understand food, operations, and manufacturing deeply. Sales and marketing, to some extent, can follow a playbook—especially if the product genuinely solves a need.
If the product resonates—if it tastes good and adds value—then the rest can be figured out.
Ultimately, there’s never a “perfect” time, especially with young children and growing responsibilities. I didn’t want to wait 20 years, so I took the leap.
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur?
I always expected it to be demanding, but I don’t think I fully appreciated the mental load.
It’s not just the hours—it’s the constant presence. The business never leaves your mind. From the moment I wake up to when I go to sleep, seven days a week, there’s always something I’m thinking about—whether I’m with my kids, in the shower, or doing anything else.
That said, I love it.
Seeing people respond to the product, hearing feedback during demos, and having people recognize that I’m the owner—it’s incredibly motivating.
One of the biggest lessons has been emotional discipline. It’s important not to get too high or too low. There are constant challenges—inventory issues, distributor friction, missed opportunities—but maintaining a steady, balanced mindset is critical.
It’s about trusting that things will work out, staying consistent, and continuing to execute. The emotional regulation required has probably been one of the most unexpected aspects of the journey.
What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most?
The ability to move quickly and execute.
I experienced this contrast firsthand going from Danone to Clio Snacks. At a large company, everything involves layers—meetings, approvals, decks, and extended timelines. At a startup, decisions happen in real time.
Now, I can identify an opportunity, make a decision, talk to one or two people, and execute immediately. There’s no prolonged process just to begin exploring an idea.
That level of agility is incredibly freeing. It removes the friction that often slows innovation and allows for rapid iteration and progress.
Share a decision that you made that was detrimental?
I’m actually working through this in real time.
Early on, I was heavily focused on simply getting onto shelves, without being as strategic about where the product was placed.
The product ideally belongs in produce, but in some cases, it ended up in center store. Through experience, I’ve realized that placement is critical—customers need to find the product where they naturally shop.
This has led to a broader realization: you need to meet customers where they are, not where you think they should be.
It’s also forced me to rethink distribution strategy. Different categories—beverage, center store, produce—operate through entirely different networks. Produce, in particular, is highly fragmented and localized, which presents unique challenges.
Now, the focus is on aligning with the right distribution channels and merchandising strategies to ensure discoverability and consistent placement.
What is your why?
What keeps me going is simple: people genuinely love the product.
From demos to buyer meetings, the feedback has been consistently strong. Even more validating is that we secured placements with major retailers—like ShopRite, part of Wakefern—before generating any revenue.
That level of belief from buyers confirms that the product fills a real gap.
I’ve always loved the food industry. It’s dynamic, essential, and constantly evolving. People always need to eat, and there’s always something new emerging.
Being able to build within that space—and create something that makes people’s lives easier—is incredibly fulfilling.
Do you have a moment that brings you the most joy?
Getting early retailer acceptance, especially pre-revenue, stands out.
I built this business on nights and weekends while working a full-time job, without being able to openly talk about it. So when buyers—who had never heard of me or the brand—chose to bring the product in, it was incredibly validating.
Buyers are not taking risks for fun. If they don’t believe a product will perform, they won’t carry it.
So to earn that trust, especially in competitive markets like New York City with retailers like Morton Williams, Westside Market, and Grace’s Marketplace, was a major milestone.
Piece of Advice
It may sound simple, but be yourself.
People can tell when you’re genuine, especially in emails, meetings, and conversations. You don’t need to be overly polished or performative—just authentic.
At the same time, you need to be your own best advocate. No one else will push your product the way you will, especially in an environment where retailers are managing thousands of SKUs.
That means showing up, doing the work, running demos, checking shelves, and staying engaged.
At its core, this is a relationship-driven business. Whether it’s retailers, distributors, or manufacturers, success depends on trust and connection.
And that only happens if you’re authentic. If people don’t like you, that’s fine—but at least they’re seeing the real you.
Promo Code
Purchase from their site, ONOIN, and use the promo code below:
SEAN20 -> 20% off!
Community Callout
In Closing
KLS wants to thank ONOIN and Founder, Marc Brown, for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!