Retail & Social Hosts Sit Down With Creative Director of El Nacho
How El Nacho Went From Restaurants to a Regeneratively Farmed Tortilla Chip Brand
Retail & Social Podcast Recap with Ryan Merry, Creative Director of El Nacho
If you’re following the better-for-you snack movement or discovering exciting brands from Expo West, El Nacho is a name to know. In this episode of Retail & Social, Ryan Rodgers and I sat down with Ryan Merry, Creative Director of El Nacho—a CPG brand that’s breaking the mold on what a tortilla chip brand can be.
From Hospitality to CPG: The Backstory
Ryan didn’t start in food. He studied industrial design, worked in footwear, and stumbled into hospitality through bartending. That’s where he met Joe, a chef and co-founder of El Nacho. Their mutual love of design, food, and doing things the right way led them to launch something bold: a direct-to-consumer chip brand born inside a restaurant group.
“I fell back in love with design through restaurants,” Ryan shared. “And eventually, we started building El Nacho from the ground up.”
Owning the Process: Why They Built Their Own Factory
El Nacho chips are fried in avocado oil, made from regeneratively farmed white corn, and crafted in a factory they built themselves in Waltham, Massachusetts. No co-manufacturers. No shortcuts.
Having control over their production has helped them:
- Maintain freshness and quality
- Innovate quickly
- Get real-time feedback from in-restaurant testing
More Than a Snack: Building a Brand With Culture and Flavor
El Nacho isn’t just competing in the tortilla chip aisle—they’re redefining it. With flavors like Miss Mango, El Diablo, and Pineapple BBQ, they’re pushing the envelope with bold, chef-driven recipes.
And the branding? Inspired by luchador culture, it’s fun, inclusive, and stands out from the sea of lookalike snack packaging. Ryan described the design process as deeply personal—like “raising another kid.”
“Luchadores are heroes in their communities. We wanted to celebrate that while building a brand that’s actually exciting to put on a table.”
From Regional Grocers to National Retail
El Nacho is now in:
- 600+ retailers across the Northeast
- Fresh Thyme
- Rolling out to Sprouts and Whole Foods in 2025
They’re also gaining traction as a Doritos alternative—but made with real ingredients like avocado oil, white corn, and minimal additives.
What’s Next for El Nacho
Creative Director, Ryan Merry and his team are laying the groundwork to evolve into a CPG lifestyle brand. Whether that means in-store bodegas, limited-edition flavors, or fun branded gear, the team is staying nimble—and hungry.
They’re also reviving social media to show up where people are actually eating chips:
- Beach days
- Backyard parties
- Soccer sidelines
- Tuesday nights in sweatpants
Final Thoughts: What CPG Brands Can Learn From El Nacho
El Nacho’s journey is a masterclass in:
- Staying close to your product
- Owning your production
- Building a brand that actually feels real
“We were trying to take a big piece of a small pie,” Ryan said. “Now we’re going after a smaller piece of a much bigger pie—the snack aisle.”
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode of Retail & Social
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