Vibes Candy Co-Founders on Turning a Snack Aisle Frustration Into a Fast-Growing Brand
In this Taste Radio interview, Ray sits down with Luke Colson and Jonathan Segal, co-founders of Vibes Candy, a better-for-you gummy brand born out of a chance encounter at a Venice Beach Whole Foods. The founders share how they set out to build a candy that didn't taste "healthy," instead combining bold, aspirational branding with reduced sugar, added fiber, and small functional touches like chamomile and elderberry across their four core flavors.
The conversation digs into how Vibes built retail momentum the hard way, hand-selling in stores across all 50 states before landing distribution with Sprouts, expanding into national e-commerce with Walmart, Amazon, and a new TikTok Shop, and building a loyal following through surf and skate culture and a giving-back partnership with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. Luke and Jonathan also detail their approach to flavor and texture innovation, including an upcoming spicy-sour launch, and why taste always comes before health claims. Listeners can learn more about the brand and its full flavor lineup at vibescandy.com.
