We Built a Food Brand From a 300-Square-Foot Kitchen to a 36,000-Square-Foot SQF-Certified Facility. Now We Build Operational Systems for Founders Like You.
We’re Glenn and Liz Ward. Liz created America’s first certified organic energy bar. Together, we built and ran BumbleBar, survived a nationwide recall, scaled to 85 natural food distribution nationally, and operated our own SQF-certified co-manufacturing facility, CleanCopack. After nearly 30 years on factory floors, we now install AI-enabled operational systems into scaling food brands so you can protect margin, reduce risk, and grow without the chaos we’ve seen sink too many good companies.
Scaling Without Systems Is the Most Expensive Decision You’ll Make
Most founder-led food brands hit a wall between $2M and $30M. Not because the product is wrong or the market is too small — but because the operational infrastructure was never built to handle what growth demands.
We know because we lived it. When Liz started BumbleBar in a rented commercial kitchen in Seattle, she was booking time slots, hauling ingredients, and figuring out every operational detail on her own. When we moved to our own 300-square-foot kitchen, then scaled to co-packing, then rebuilt after a recall, then self-manufactured for five years, then built a 36,000-square-foot SQF facility — we hit every wall there is to hit.
The symptoms show up the same way every time: margin compression hiding in your P&L. Co-pack relationships that run on trust instead of systems. Production schedules driven by urgency instead of planning. Audit prep that turns into a scramble every single time. And a founder bearing the weight of every operational decision alone.
These aren’t growing pains. They’re structural vulnerabilities. And they compound with every quarter of unchecked growth.
Three Ways Our Food Manufacturing Consulting Builds Operational Infrastructure
1
Diagnose: Operational Intelligence Assessment
We map your margin leakage, score your operational risk, evaluate your system maturity, and deliver a 90-day execution blueprint. This isn’t a surface-level audit. It’s a comprehensive operational diagnostic designed for brands preparing to scale, raise capital, or transition manufacturing models.
2
Build: Intelligent Systems Implementation
We install AI-powered SOP libraries, audit documentation systems, production workflow engines, and team training infrastructure directly into your organization. Think of it as installing a scalable operational brain — the kind of infrastructure we wished we’d had when we were scaling BumbleBar.
3
Lead: Embedded Operator
Fractional operational leadership embedded inside your company. Co-pack oversight, vendor negotiation, production planning, audit preparation, and team accountability. You get the operational leadership you need at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time VP of Operations. Glenn has been this person for dozens of brands. He knows what it looks like from both sides of the wall.
Built for Founder-Led Food Brands at a Critical Inflection Point
If the following describes your situation, we should talk:
- Specifically, you run a natural food brand generating between $2M and $30M in annual revenue.
- You are scaling production through co-packers, self-manufacturing, or transitioning between the two.
- You do not have a full-time VP of Operations, and the founder is still the operational bottleneck.
- Additionally, you are experiencing margin compression, audit anxiety, or production unpredictability.
- You know systems need to be built but do not have the bandwidth or expertise to build them internally.
Not the Right Fit?
However, we are not the right fit for pre-revenue startups, brands under $1M in revenue, or founders still validating product-market fit. Instead, our engagements are designed for brands with traction that need operational infrastructure to sustain and accelerate growth.
Operational Outcomes, Not Promises
$340K
Identified in annual margin leakage within the first 14 days of assessment.
62%
Reduced co-pack defect rate through SOP standardization and vendor accountability systems.
First Attempt
Built audit-ready documentation that passed SQF certification on the first attempt.
70%
Installed operational systems that reduced founder time spent on daily operations by 70%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Snackteva different from other food industry consultants?
We do not consult. We build. Most food industry advisors deliver reports and recommendations. We install operational systems, AI-enabled knowledge infrastructure, and measurable accountability structures directly into your organization. The output is not a slide deck. It is a functioning operational backbone.
What does AI-enabled actually mean in this context?
It means we use artificial intelligence as infrastructure, not as a gimmick. We deploy AI-powered SOP libraries, automated audit documentation, intelligent knowledge management systems, and team training tools that make your operations more consistent, more documented, and less dependent on any single person. This is not about chatbots. It is about building organizational intelligence.
How much does an engagement cost?
Every engagement begins with the Operational Intelligence Assessment. The assessment is a fixed-scope diagnostic starting at $15,000, depending on operational complexity. It maps your margin leakage, scores your operational risk, and delivers a 90-day execution blueprint.
From there, engagements are scoped based on what the assessment reveals. Intelligent Systems Implementation typically runs $8,000 to $15,000 per month over a 3 to 6 month engagement. Embedded Operator retainers range from $12,000 to $20,000 per month with a 6-month minimum commitment.
For context, our last assessment identified $340K in annual margin leakage for an $8M snack brand within 14 days. A full-time VP of Operations at the level our Embedded Operators deliver costs $150,000 to $200,000 in salary plus benefits and requires months to ramp. Our engagements deliver senior operational infrastructure from day one.
We are not the right fit for every brand. If your operation does not warrant this level of investment, we will tell you directly during the application review.
Not ready for a full engagement? Our Operational Snapshot is a $4,500 flat-fee rapid diagnostic — delivered in 5 business days — that identifies your top 3 risk areas and delivers a prioritized action plan. If it reveals a full engagement is warranted, the $4,500 is credited toward the assessment.
Do you work with brands using co-packers, self-manufacturers, or both?
Both. A significant portion of our clients are navigating hybrid production models or transitioning between the two. Our systems are built to function regardless of manufacturing model and are particularly valuable during transitions when operational risk is highest.
How long does an assessment take?
The Operational Intelligence Assessment is delivered within 3 to 4 weeks from engagement start. You will receive a comprehensive margin leakage map, operational risk score, system maturity evaluation, AI readiness assessment, audit exposure analysis, and a 90-day execution blueprint.
We already have SOPs. Why do we need your systems?
Having SOPs and having an operational system are two different things. Most brands we work with have scattered documents across Google Drive, tribal knowledge in the heads of key employees, and no automated compliance or audit documentation. We do not just write SOPs. We install a knowledge management backbone that makes institutional knowledge accessible, updatable, and audit-ready at all times.