Pik-Nik Foods
Pik-Nik Foods is a privately held US snack manufacturer producing shoestring potatoes, cheese puffs, and french fried onions, sold through major grocery chains (Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, HEB) and a nationwide DTC e-commerce storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1940
- HeadquartersBurlingame, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pik-Nik Foods does
Pik-Nik Foods is a privately held US snack food manufacturer specializing in shoestring potatoes and related cheese-puff and fried-onion products. Founded in the late 1930s and operating for more than 80 years, the company produces its full line at a single manufacturing facility in Madera, California, with corporate offices in Burlingame, California. The legal entity is Great American Foods Inc., doing business as Pik-Nik Foods USA. The company employs 11-50 people and distributes through both retail grocery and direct-to-consumer channels.
The product portfolio centers on seven shoestring potato SKUs — Original, 50% Less Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Hot!, Ketchup Fries, Fabulous Fries, and Sea Salt & Vinegar — packaged in the company's signature resealable stay-fresh canisters that deliver a stated two-year shelf life. Complementary products include Organic Potato Sticks, French Fried Onions, Cheese Balls, and Cheese Curls. Production relies on a differentiated slicing and frying process that uses fresh potatoes and pure vegetable oil, and the company holds Non-GMO Verified, gluten-free, kosher, and halal certifications. Products are sold in multi-pack cases (typically 12-canister units) at wholesale price points of roughly $40 to $62 per case.
Pik-Nik generates revenue through wholesale product sales to major US grocery chains — Safeway, Kroger, Walmart Superstores, Publix, and HEB — and through direct e-commerce sales on pik-nik.com, which ships to all 50 US states including Alaska and Hawaii. The company markets primarily via Instagram (@piknikusa), an email newsletter, periodic sweepstakes promotions, and recipe content, including a 2023-2024 co-branded campaign with Warner Bros. Discovery tied to the AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM release. Customer feedback highlights multi-generational loyalty and use cases spanning road trips, lunchboxes, holiday gatherings, and recipe ingredients.
Pik-Nik Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pik-Nik Foods
- Legal name
- Great American Foods Inc.
- Website
- https://pik-nik.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1940
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pik-Nik Foods is a privately held US snack manufacturer producing shoestring potatoes, cheese puffs, and french fried onions, sold through major grocery chains (Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, HEB) and a nationwide DTC e-commerce storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pik-Nik Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Packaged Snack Foods
- NAICS
- Snack Food Manufacturing (31191), Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Potato & Vegetable Chips Manufacturing (AFAKAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Chips & Savory Snacks (Potato, Tortilla, Extruded) (CRADABAE), Specialty Snack Foods Manufacturing (Ethnic/Regional, Gourmet, Functional) (AFAKAIAO)
Keywords
Where Pik-Nik Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlingame
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pik-Nik Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Snack Food Product Sales: Pik-Nik Foods generates revenue through the direct sale of snack products including shoestring potatoes, cheese puffs, and related items to consumers via e-commerce and to retailers for resale. Products are sold in various sized packaging (1.75 oz to 14 oz) at price points ranging from approximately $40 to $62 per multi-pack case.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Original Shoestring Potatoes - Various Sizes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheddar Cheese Shoestring Potatoes - 12/8.5 oz |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ketchup Fries - 12/9 oz |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fabulous Fries - 12/9 oz |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheese Curls - 12/8.5 oz |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pik-Nik Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pik-Nik Foods manufactures and sells shoestring potato snacks (Original, 50% Less Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Hot!, Ketchup Fries, Fabulous Fries, Sea Salt & Vinegar varieties), cheese-based snacks (Cheese Curls and Cheese Balls), organic potato sticks, and french fried onions. All products are produced in the USA at the Madera, California facility and packaged in resealable stay-fresh canisters with a two-year shelf life. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via pik-nik.com and through major grocery retailers across the United States.
Product overview
Pik-Nik Foods is a snack food company offering a portfolio of shoestring potato products and cheese-based snacks. The core product line centers on shoestring potatoes (Original, 50% Less Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Hot!, Ketchup Fries, Fabulous Fries, and Sea Salt & Vinegar varieties) available in multiple canister sizes (9 oz., 8.5 oz., 4 oz., and 14 oz.). Complementary products include Organic Potato Sticks, French Fried Onions, Cheese Balls, and Cheese Curls. All products are manufactured in the USA (Madera, CA facility) using fresh potatoes, pure vegetable oils, and quality seasonings, packaged in resealable stay-fresh canisters. The company emphasizes non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher, and halal-certified offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Original Shoestring Potatoes Shoestring potatoes made from fresh non-GMO potatoes sliced thicker and longer than ordinary potato sticks, fried in pure vegetable oil and seasoned with sea salt. Sold in 9 oz, 4 oz, and 14 oz canister sizes for direct consumer and grocery retail purchase.
- 50% Less Salt Shoestring Potatoes
Companies that use Pik-Nik Foods
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Pik-Nik Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pik-Nik Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pik-Nik Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Utz Brands: Public salty snack manufacturer with a broad portfolio including potato chips, pretzels, and cheese snacks; comparable to Pik-Nik because both compete for salty snack shelf space at major US grocery retailers, though Utz is far larger and more diversified.
- Wise Foods: Long-established US snack maker (cheese curls, Dipsy Doodles, potato chips) with broad grocery distribution; comparable to Pik-Nik in product mix (especially cheese puffs) and grocery-channel presence, though larger and broader in portfolio.
Direct peers
- Cape Cod Chips: Premium kettle-cooked potato chip brand sold across US grocery; directly comparable to Pik-Nik as a small-batch, better-for-you positioned potato snack with broad retail distribution and a focus on clean ingredients.
- Kettle Brand: Kettle-cooked potato chip brand owned by Campbell Snacks; comparable to Pik-Nik in product format (premium potato-based snack), natural/Non-GMO positioning, and grocery-channel distribution.
- Deep River Snacks: Better-for-you kettle-cooked potato chip brand focused on Non-GMO, gluten-free, and clean-ingredient credentials; directly comparable to Pik-Nik's positioning, certifications, and specialty/natural channel focus.
- Boulder Canyon Authentic Foods: Better-for-you potato chip brand offering kettle-cooked, olive oil, and avocado oil varieties; comparable to Pik-Nik as a small-batch, health-positioned potato snack sold in natural and grocery channels.
- Route 11 Potato Chips: Small-batch kettle-cooked potato chip maker with a flavor-forward portfolio; directly comparable to Pik-Nik as a niche, specialty-positioned potato snack with strong regional identity and select national distribution.
- Zapp's Potato Chips: Kettle-cooked potato chip brand owned by Utz with bold, regional flavor positioning; comparable to Pik-Nik in product format, flavor-forward identity, and US grocery distribution.
- Better Made Snack Foods: Regional potato chip and cheese curl maker with multi-generational brand history and grocery distribution; directly comparable to Pik-Nik as a small, privately held, heritage snack maker with overlapping product categories.
Emerging players
- Pirate Brands / Pirate's Booty: Baked, better-for-you cheese puff and snack brand with strong natural-channel presence; comparable to Pik-Nik's Cheese Balls/Curls line and overlap on Non-GMO, gluten-free positioning, though focused on baked vs. fried formats.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pik-Nik Foods social profiles
Digital presencePik-Nik Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pik-Nik Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pik-Nik Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pik-Nik Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pik-Nik Foods
What does Pik-Nik Foods do?
Pik-Nik Foods manufactures and sells shoestring potato snacks (Original, 50% Less Salt, Cheddar Cheese, Hot!, Ketchup Fries, Fabulous Fries, Sea Salt & Vinegar varieties), cheese-based snacks (Cheese Curls and Cheese Balls), organic potato sticks, and french fried onions. All products are produced in the USA at the Madera, California facility and packaged in resealable stay-fresh canisters with a two-year shelf life. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via pik-nik.com and through major grocery retailers across the United States.
Is Pik-Nik Foods a public or private company?
Pik-Nik Foods is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Pik-Nik Foods founded?
Pik-Nik Foods was founded in 1940. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pik-Nik Foods based?
Pik-Nik Foods is headquartered in Burlingame, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pik-Nik Foods make money?
One revenue line is on record: snack Food Product Sales.
Who are Pik-Nik Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Utz Brands and Wise Foods. Direct peers are Cape Cod Chips, Kettle Brand, Deep River Snacks, Boulder Canyon Authentic Foods, Route 11 Potato Chips, Zapp's Potato Chips and Better Made Snack Foods. Pirate Brands / Pirate's Booty is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pik-Nik Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pik-Nik Foods.
What industry is Pik-Nik Foods in?
Pik-Nik Foods's product category is Packaged Snack Foods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAIAA, Potato & Vegetable Chips Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADABAE, Chips & Savory Snacks (Potato, Tortilla, Extruded). Its NAICS code is 31191 and its SIC code is 2000.