Why We Source From Small Businesses (Instead of Billionaires)
At Good Judy’s, we like to say we “snack small” – and for good reason. Instead of lining our shelves with Frito-Lays or other big-name conglomerate snacks, we curate goodies from small, minority-owned brands. Why? Because supporting these indie snack makers isn’t just good for your taste buds – it’s good for our community and the planet. In this post, we’ll chat (casually and on-brand, of course) about why we choose small brands over the big guys, and how that choice creates a positive ripple effect in the economy. Grab a smoothie (or a bottle of cold-pressed juice), put your sweats on, get comfy, and then let’s dig in! (Sorry this post is so long)
Better Ingredients (No Offense, Frito-Lay & Nabisco)
One big reason we favor small brands is quality. The snacks we stock are all “better-for-you” – plant-based or vegetarian, often organic, with wholesome ingredients. Every product on our shelves is healthy-ish, meaning none of our snacks are overly processed or loaded with insane amounts of added sugar or sketchy preservatives. Try finding that in a mass-produced chip! Smaller brands are often founded by health-conscious individuals or food enthusiasts with specific dietary needs, prompting them to get creative with recipes. For example, Savor by Suzie (one of our pretzel brands) makes grain-free, vegan pretzel twists that are free from nuts, soy, dairy, eggs, and other common allergens. It’s literally a pretzel anyone can enjoy without worry. Big snack corporations are catching on to the health trend, but let’s be real – their classics are more about salt, fat, and profit. By supporting small-batch makers, we’re bringing you unique flavors and dietary-friendly options you won’t get from the usual neon-orange cheese dust.
And let’s not forget flavor and variety. Indie brands often experiment with fun ingredients (think turmeric popcorn or mushroom jerky) that big companies overlook. Because we rotate our selection often, you’ll always find something new and exciting at Good Judy’s. Snacks become a conversation starter (“Have you tried the new kimchi-seasoned chips from that Asian-American owned company? So good!”). In short, choosing small brands means better snacks that align with our values – and likely yours too. Plus, these small brands are the ones driving true innovation within the CPG market, whether that is as simple as exploring niche global flavors or reinventing sourcing standards.
Keeping Dollars in the Community
Buying a local or small-brand snack might feel like a tiny decision, but it has a big impact beyond the store. When you spend money on a small business product, more of that money stays in the community instead of disappearing into a far-off corporate system. In fact, studies show that for every $100 spent at a local business, about $68 stays in the local economy – compared to only $43 when you spend $100 at a chain store. That’s a huge difference! It means your purchase at Good Judy’s is supporting local jobs, local suppliers, and local tax revenue more than if you bought a mass-market snack at a big box retailer.
To put it plainly, shopping small is like investing in your neighborhood. Those dollars help local entrepreneurs pay their employees, who in turn spend their paychecks around town – it’s a virtuous cycle. Economists call this the local multiplier effect, but we just call it not being a greedy corporate loser and actually caring about humans (insert sticking out tongue emoji here). Here are a few quick figures that show the power of keeping it local:
More money stays local: Roughly 67–68% of money spent at small businesses stays in the community, versus ~43% for chain retailers. Your $5 on an indie granola bar goes further for Grand Rapids than $5 spent on a mega-corp snack.
Stronger community giving: Small businesses donate 250% more to local charities and community causes than large corporations do. (We love this stat! It means your support of small brands indirectly boosts local nonprofits, youth sports, food drives – all that good stuff.)
Job creation engines: Over the past couple decades, small businesses have accounted for about 66% of all new jobs created in the U.S.. Translation: when you support small companies, you’re helping spur new jobs in your community.
In short, keeping our dollars local instead of pumping them into “the system” (i.e. massive conglomerates) leads to more thriving local shops, more community donations, and more jobs right here where we live. It’s economics, but with a heart.
Snacks with Purpose: The Stories Behind Some Small Snack Brands
Another thing we adore about the brands we carry is that each one has a story and a mission. When you buy from a small brand, you’re often supporting someone’s dream or a cause they care deeply about. This makes your snack taste even sweeter (or savorier!). Let us introduce two of our star vendors as an example to show what we mean:
Savor by Suzie: This is a family-run brand we’re proud to stock, known for their delicious gluten-free pretzels. But Savor by Suzie is about so much more than pretzels. The company was inspired by the founders’ daughter, who has autism, and they are determined to make a difference for the autism community. How? All of Savor by Suzie’s online orders are fulfilled by their neurodiverse workforce – meaning they actively employ people with autism and different abilities to handle their shipping and operations. Talk about a feel-good snack! Every bag of Suzie’s pretzels you munch on not only gives you clean, grain-free crunch (it’s paleo and vegan, too), but also supports job opportunities for autistic individuals. The founders often say “Autism is our superpower” and have built their company around inclusion and empathy. That’s the kind of positive energy you’re fueling when you choose a small brand like Savor by Suzie. (Try their Roasted Garlic & Herb pretzels – knowing the backstory makes them even tastier, trust us.)
Uglies Kettle Chips: Don’t let the name fool you – these chips (made by Uglies Snacks) are beautiful in what they do. Uglies takes potatoes that big manufacturers reject for being “too ugly” (you know, those imperfect, odd-shaped spuds) and turns them into delicious kettle-cooked chips. This helps farmers and tackles America’s food waste problem at the same time. Uglies has upcycled over 32 million pounds of potatoes since 2017 that would’ve otherwise been thrown away! That’s a whole lot of good from one crunchy snack. And they don’t stop there – Uglies also donates a portion of their profits to charities fighting childhood hunger. So when you buy a bag of Uglies chips from our shop, you’re not just getting a yummy, slightly less-than-perfect-looking chip; you’re also supporting sustainability (by reducing food waste), farmers, and hunger relief. All that in one bag of chips – try getting that kind of impact from a big-name potato chip!
These are just two examples, but virtually every small brand on our shelves has a mission or community story behind it. Many are woman-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, or BIPOC-owned companies that are bringing diversity to the CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry. (In fact, about 95% of our products come from LGBTQ+, people of color, or women-owned brands – representation matters to us!). By supporting them, you’re helping elevate underrepresented entrepreneurs and encouraging more innovation and inclusivity in the marketplace. It’s like casting a vote with your wallet for the kind of world you want – a world where success is shared, and everyone has a seat at the table (or shelf, in this case).
And honestly, it just feels good. It feels good to know your snack is sourced from a passionate little company that pours love into their product and cares about the community. It feels good to discover a new favorite treat and know that, in doing so, you’re lifting someone up. That feel-good vibe is exactly what we’re about at Good Judy’s.
The Good Judy’s Difference (Casual, Conscious, and Community-Focused)
At the end of the day, we stock what we stock because it reflects who we are and what we believe in. Good Judy’s is a minority-owned, Grand Rapids-born biz ourselves, and we believe in lifting up others like us. Sure, we could fill our shop with the usual snack suspects from huge conglomerates – it might even be cheaper or easier. But then we’d just be another cog in the corporate snack machine, and that’s not the Good Judy’s vibe. Our vibe is more “support your friends and neighbors”… more “snack consciously but keep it fun”… more rainbow flag and community love than corporate checkbox.
When you walk into our little shop, you can feel that difference. You’ll find curated goodies that are healthier for you and sourced with care, you’ll sense the personal touch in every product, and you’ll know that your purchase is making a positive impact – from boosting the local economy to supporting causes like autism employment and food waste reduction. It’s a win-win-win: you get an awesome snack, a small business gets a sale, and the community gets a boost.
In a nutshell (because we love nuts): we support small brands over big conglomerates because it’s better for you, better for people, and better for the planet. And frankly, it makes for a more interesting snack selection! So the next time you’re crunching on those Uglies Chips or savoring a Savor by Suzie pretzel from Good Judy’s, give yourself a pat on the back. You didn’t just treat yourself – you invested in a better food system and a stronger community. How’s that for snacking with purpose?
Thank you for joining us on this journey of mindful munching. Stay fabulous, stay hungry (in a curious, try-new-things way), and remember: when you snack small, you’re making a big difference.
