Ancient Crunch Taps CPG Vets for Nationwide Whole Foods Conquest

NEW YORK, NY – August 03, 2026 – In a dual move signaling a major inflection point in its growth, "better-for-you" snack company Ancient Crunch has landed nationwide distribution in Whole Foods Market and fortified its leadership team with two seasoned consumer packaged goods (CPG) executives. The parent company of MASA tortilla chips and Vandy potato chips announced today that Al Matulis will join as Head of Retail and Greg Reintjes Jr. as Chief Marketing Officer, moves timed to support a national rollout that dramatically expands the brand's commercial footprint.

The expansion into all Whole Foods Market stores this August follows a highly successful 93-store test launch earlier this year, validating the brand’s appeal and paving the way for this significant milestone. For a company that has championed a return to traditional ingredients and cooking methods, this strategic push into one of the nation’s premier natural food retailers marks a critical transition from a direct-to-consumer darling to an omnichannel powerhouse poised for mainstream success.

Cashing In on the Clean Label Craze

Ancient Crunch’s aggressive expansion is not happening in a vacuum. The company is expertly riding a massive wave of consumer demand for snacks that are not just healthier, but also transparently and traditionally made. The global healthy snacks market, valued at over $114 billion in 2026, is increasingly influenced by a powerful "clean label" movement. Industry data reveals that 81% of shoppers prioritize purchasing foods with simple, recognizable ingredients, a trend that has propelled the clean label snack market toward a projected $100 billion valuation by 2033.

At the heart of this movement is a specific and rapidly growing consumer aversion to industrial seed oils. Driven by concerns over inflammation and processing methods, an estimated 28% of U.S. consumers are now actively avoiding oils like canola and soybean. This niche is proving incredibly profitable. According to market data, products with a "Seed Oil Free Certified" label saw an astonishing 410% surge in sales in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year.

This is precisely the trend co-founders Seth Goldstein and Steven Rofrano have built their company on. Ancient Crunch’s core philosophy—using 100% grass-fed and finished beef tallow to cook their organic, nixtamalized corn tortilla chips (MASA) and kettle-style potato chips (Vandy)—directly targets this educated consumer. By rejecting seed oils, fillers, and artificial additives, the company has differentiated itself in a crowded market. As Goldstein and Rofrano stated, "We've always believed there was a massive opportunity to bring real-food snacks back to grocery shelves." The current market data suggests their belief was not just a philosophy, but a sharp market insight.

Building an Executive Dream Team

Scaling to meet this demand requires more than just a great product; it requires world-class operational expertise. Ancient Crunch’s appointment of Al Matulis and Greg Reintjes Jr. is a clear signal that the company is investing heavily in the human capital needed to navigate its next growth phase. These are not minor hires; they are strategic acquisitions of talent designed to transform the company’s commercial capabilities.

Al Matulis, the new Head of Retail, brings over two decades of experience scaling brands across every conceivable channel. His resume includes leadership stints at Fortune 100 giants like Kimberly-Clark and Kellogg's, balanced with experience at high-growth disruptors like Quinn Snacks. This blend of big-company process and small-company agility is invaluable for a brand like Ancient Crunch, which is making the leap from DTC to a complex, omnichannel retail environment. "I am excited by the opportunity to help lead Ancient Crunch's evolution from a DTC-driven business to an omnichannel focused house of beloved BFY brands," Matulis said, highlighting his mandate to build a "best-in-class retail organization."

Joining him is Greg Reintjes Jr. as Chief Marketing Officer, who arrives with a compelling track record of building challenger brands. Most recently, he was SVP and Head of Marketing at LALO Spirits, where he was instrumental in building the marketing engine that led to its acquisition by Tito's Handmade Vodka. His experience at Beam Suntory further deepens his CPG credentials. Reintjes’s role will be to craft the narrative and growth strategy for the Ancient Crunch portfolio. "Seth and Steven have identified the most important shift within CPG in the U.S.. Consumers are demanding high quality food made from natural ingredients," Reintjes noted. "I am honored to build the brands that meet that demand."

The Whole Foods Halo Effect

Securing a nationwide deal with Whole Foods Market is a watershed moment for any emerging natural brand. It serves as a powerful third-party endorsement, a "halo" that signals quality, trustworthiness, and trend-worthiness to consumers and other retailers alike. For Ancient Crunch, this partnership is the culmination of a deliberate strategy, proven out by the successful 93-store pilot program. The success in that initial test run provided Whole Foods with the data-backed confidence to take the brand national, a textbook example of a well-executed commercialization plan.

This deal significantly accelerates the company's retail footprint, which now exceeds 3,000 locations across the United States. Ancient Crunch products are already found in key retailers such as Target, Sprouts Farmers Market—where its MASA chips are reportedly the top-selling tortilla chip—and the influential, trend-setting grocer Erewhon. The addition of the entire Whole Foods network solidifies its position as a formidable player in the national snack aisle and provides the volume and velocity data that will be critical for future growth and potential investor interest.

Navigating a Crowded Aisle

While the momentum is undeniable, Ancient Crunch is not without competition. The seed oil-free space, once a quiet niche, is becoming increasingly crowded. Brands like Siete Family Foods and Boulder Canyon have already established strong followings with their alternative-oil chips. More directly, emerging competitors like Norse Roots are also championing beef tallow in their snack products, creating a direct challenge to Ancient Crunch's core value proposition.

However, Ancient Crunch's strategy appears robust. Its two-pronged brand approach with MASA and Vandy allows it to compete in two of the largest snack categories—tortilla chips and potato chips—simultaneously. Furthermore, its unwavering commitment to traditional methods, like the nixtamalization of its corn, provides a layer of authenticity that is difficult to replicate. The company's success is not just about what it removes (seed oils), but what it preserves (traditional culinary techniques and whole-food ingredients). As the co-founders put it, they are building "the next generation of better-for-you brands," and with their new leadership and expanded distribution, they have never been in a stronger position to do so.