Pistakio: Italian-founded and inspired authentic pistachio products that aren’t imported or premium, but approachable and can be enjoyed by everyone, at any time.
- KLS
- Feb 20
- 9 min read
For the 161st feature of our "Together Talks" campaign, we collaborated with pistakio and Co-Founder, Francine Voit. Italian-founded and inspired, Pistakio was born from a desire to create authentic pistachio products that aren’t imported or premium, but approachable and can be enjoyed by everyone, at any time. From the ingredient choices to the aesthetic, they believe pistachios are more than just a nut; but a versatile ingredient that shouldn’t be exclusive!
After struggling to find pistachio products in the US that actually tasted like pistachios…they began to create them and bring you what was once considered a luxury, which is now your go-to pantry staple. Their spread gives pistachios the spotlight they truly deserve and will elevate any dish with just a spoonful.
"Together Talks" feature # 161: pistakio presented by KLS - Your Trusted Shipping Solutions In The USA
Can you reflect on a goal you set, achieved, and how it made you feel? Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
What do you need to improve on next? 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?
My partner, Nico, grew up in Italy, and I went to culinary school there. We met at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia while on the tennis team. During our last year, we had this long-standing idea of starting a food truck centered around a single, underrated ingredient. For us, that ingredient was pistachios—widely used in Italy and Sicily but strangely overlooked in the U.S.
At the time, nut butters and milks were booming, yet pistachios were either artificially flavored or loaded with sugar. We wanted to change that and show their true versatility, just like in Italy. Initially, we planned to launch the food truck, but it was too expensive. Instead, we focused on creating a product that could go on anything.
We started with pistachio mayo—Americans love mayo. We made a few prototypes, including a savory version, a cheesy one, and a sweet spread similar to what we sell today. At a local farmers market event, we set up a small booth with a sign that read Pistachios, reimagined. About 300 people stopped by, curious about how we were reimagining them. That was our lightbulb moment. People wanted this. It wasn’t just our friends hyping us up—strangers were ready to pull out their wallets.
After that, we spent months refining our brand. I took a packaging design class, Nico took an entrepreneurship course, and we prepared to officially launch at the farmers market. Three months later, we returned, and week after week, we sold out.
When we graduated, we had a loyal customer base, but we knew Georgia wasn’t our ideal market. That summer, we visited Sicily to source pistachios, then moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, to officially launch.
Once we got there, reality hit. We had the product, but no way to scale it. We were making it in our dorm before—now we needed licenses, certifications, and a proper production process. We enrolled in Get Your Recipe to Market, a 10-week course at a local college. In week eight, a food scientist told us our original product wasn’t feasible without a $100,000 machine or a co-packer—neither of which we could afford.
We had to pivot. We revisited our sweet pistachio spread, tested it with a chef, and got the green light. By the final week of the course, we had a pitch meeting with one of Portland’s biggest grocery chains. We knew we couldn’t just show up empty-handed. In two weeks, we got nutritional facts, secured a commercial kitchen, obtained FDA approval, and produced our first official batch—at 5 a.m. the morning of the pitch.
That afternoon, we walked into the meeting. They loved it. They said it was one of the best pitches they’d seen and wanted our product in stores. A few months later, in April 2024, we launched with them.
Days after that pitch, we were at another local market when a buyer from another major grocery chain stopped by. He tried our spread and immediately asked to put it in stores the following month.
Since then, we’ve focused on these two chains while expanding into independent stores nationwide. Pistakio started as an idea for a food truck, but it’s grown into something much bigger—a way to bridge the gap between American consumers and Italian flavors, one jar at a time.
What have been the biggest challenges?
One of our biggest challenges was figuring out how to manufacture our product at scale. When we first started with the pistachio mayo, we wanted it to be shelf-stable, but finding a co-packer that met our quality standards was nearly impossible. Many didn’t work with our category, their minimums were way too high, and it was expensive to even get started. We’ve been completely bootstrapped—we only put about $1,000 into the business back in college—so working with a co-packer just wasn’t an option.
That meant we had to produce everything ourselves, which has been a huge labor effort. Just last week, we signed the lease for our own production space to continue making the product in-house.
We actually spent six months searching for a co-packer and finally found one. We toured their facility, loved it, and they sent us a sample of our product, which was great. We were set to start our first test run, flights booked and everything—then, out of nowhere, they called to say they were shutting down their business. Just like that, they were completely out of operation.
It was a tough moment, but in hindsight, it opened up a new opportunity. By handling production ourselves, we get full control over quality, the ability to build a team, and the freedom to experiment. We can launch limited-edition SKUs, adjust production as needed, and scale on our own terms. While manufacturing has been one of our biggest hurdles, it’s also given us a lot of flexibility and control over our brand’s future.
Can you reflect on a goal you set, achieved, and how it made you feel?
After our launch in April 2024, it was more of a soft launch—we didn’t have a big advertising budget and focused entirely on DTC. At the time, we weren’t in many retailers, but by the end of April, we officially landed in grocery stores.
In May, we kicked off a campaign to break our own sales record. Seeing our product on shelves next to Nutella for the first time was surreal, so we ran with that idea and positioned ourselves as the next Nutella. More than anything, we wanted to educate people—legacy brands dominate grocery aisles, and small brands like ours are up against familiar household names.
Our goal was to sell 1,000 jars in a month, and we made it happen. The sales spike was bigger than we could’ve imagined. Even during in-store demos, we told customers about the campaign, and they were all in—cheering us on, spreading the word, and placing orders. It was such a fun moment and proof that people really believed in what we were building.
What have you learned being an entrepreneur?
In the beginning, it didn’t really feel like we were entrepreneurs. We started Pistakio as a college project—it felt like something that could become a business one day, but that was never the initial goal. That changed when we realized people actually wanted to buy it. Then, when we moved to Portland and officially became business owners, it hit differently. Looking back, if we had known from the start that we were building a real business, we might have sought out more inspiration from other founders and learned from their journeys earlier on. The CPG community is incredibly welcoming and supportive, but at first, we were honestly intimidated to reach out for advice. Now, we see how valuable it is to connect with other founders and learn from their experiences.
How have you grown due to becoming an entrepreneur?
Building Pistakio has been the first time that all of my passions have come together in one place. I feel incredibly lucky because that’s not something everyone gets to experience. This business is truly a reflection of me and my partner, and I think you can always tell when a brand is deeply connected to its founders—it just has more heart. Before Pistakio, I studied interior and graphic design, explored culinary arts, and loved the idea of brand building and community. Now, all of those interests are woven into what we do every day. Before this, I struggled to find a path where I really fit. Whether it was in design school or when I was looking for jobs, nothing felt right until we started Pistakio. Now, it’s become a dream to be able to do this full-time.
What do you need to improve on next?
One big focus for us is learning how to be great leaders. As we start building a team, people are going to look to us for guidance, and we want to create a work environment where everyone feels like they’re truly part of something—not just working for us. At the same time, we also know that leadership means setting clear boundaries and expectations. Finding that balance—being strong leaders while still fostering a collaborative, mission-driven culture—is something we’re actively working on as we grow.
What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most?
Seeing people try our product for the first time. Launching new products that feel true to us. Hearing customers say that Pistakio reminds them of Italy—or that it’s even better than what they’ve had there. Those moments make everything worth it. Watching people take their first spoonful and experience pistachios in a new way is something we’ll never get tired of. Their excitement keeps us going every day.
Share a decision that you made that was detrimental?
When we launched into our first two grocery stores, it wasn’t necessarily detrimental, but it was definitely a learning curve. We entered retail only two weeks after officially launching, and we had no idea what we were doing. We had researched our category as if we were still making a condiment, so we were thinking in terms of placement next to mayo and ketchup instead of nut butters.
Our product was nearly three times the price of everything around it, the packaging blended in too much, and because we used glass jars, we were dealing with breakage and leaks in transit. On top of that, we thought that once we got into a store, the product would just sell itself—but we were our own distributors, and we didn’t realize that stores weren’t reordering on their own. A few months later, we went to check on some locations and found out they had been sold out for three months, and we had no idea.
In June 2024, just three months after launching, we switched our packaging, and it made all the difference. No more breakage, no more leaks, and our jars actually arrived intact. Plus, we were able to lower the shelf price by $3, which helped a ton with sales velocity. It was a rough start, but a necessary learning experience.
What is your why?
Even with all the highs and lows, those little moments of validation make it all worth it. Seeing a new review come in, landing a new account, or hearing from a coffee shop that they love using Pistakio in their drinks—it’s incredible. That connection with our customers, knowing we’re bringing them joy, is what keeps us going. On top of that, Pistakio feels completely ours. We’re not working to build someone else’s vision—we’re building something deeply personal, and that’s what makes it so fulfilling.
What is your favorite way to enjoy your product?
Tiramisu with Pistakio is definitely up there, but my absolute favorite is strawberries dipped in Pistakio. Once you try it, there’s no going back—I can’t eat strawberries any other way now. A lot of people also love it in coffee, and while I had it so much in the beginning that I need to take breaks, it’s still one of the best ways to enjoy it.
Do you have a moment that brings you the most joy?
Hitting our sales record in May was a huge moment of validation. It really made us feel like, okay, this is working. But I also think our next big moment is coming soon—I’m so excited to launch our new product. We genuinely love it, and I think our community is going to love it even more. Developing new products, coming up with creative pairings, and seeing people get excited about them is one of the most rewarding parts of all of this.
Piece of Advice
It’s easier said than done, but so many people wait until the perfect moment to start a business—and that moment never really comes. We were lucky that our timing lined up the way it did: we had just graduated, didn’t have jobs or security, and didn’t even have a place to live, so we just took the leap.
A lot of people think they need to spend years researching before they can start, but we didn’t know anything when we launched. Of course, there are different ways to do this, and I’m not saying our way was the right way, but simply starting is the most important thing. You don’t need a perfect product from day one. You just need something that’s good enough to put out into the world. Everything else? You’ll figure it out as you go.
In Closing
KLS wants to thank pistakio and Co-Founder, Francine Voit for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!
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