Today we’d like to introduce you to Captain Chris and Christy Johnson.
Hi, Captain Chris and Christy. Can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
We are Captain Chris and Christy Johnson. We operated a successful fishing charter company in the Florida Keys for 17 years. We started with one boat and Captain and grew that business into a multi-vessel fleet with a full-time staff of professional Captains and deckhands. In 2021, it was time for a change of scenery and a new creative challenge. So, we sold our charter business and Keys home and moved to beautiful Lake County in central Florida. Our energy and love of building businesses shifted to the creation of Captain Crazy’s Nuts and Fine Snacks. We started in the nut business because we were tired of finding only inferior products from big brands and small companies. They were all the same old flavors with no creativity or so heavily candy-coated that you couldn’t find the nut. We decided we could do better, and so we did. What started as a hobby in 2019 to create nuts that are what we expect in quality and taste became our full-time passion in 2021. Our artisan nuts, snacks, and culinary specialties are made by hand in small batches for big flavor. We developed every flavor combination. High-quality ingredients and our original flavor infusion technique combine gourmet creations with a deep, satisfying, delicious taste! The same attention to detail and demand for the highest quality and extraordinary customer service that served to build our charter company go into every facet of Captain Crazy’s. In just a few short months, we grew from a Cottage Industry food maker selling at farmer’s markets to a full-blown gourmet food company with a retail and e-commerce presence, and we continue to grow in all aspects.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our sales channels include direct-to-consumer, e-commerce, and wholesale. Our gourmet creations are steps above and beyond what most people have experienced, so we’ve had to re-educate people about what real food with high-quality ingredients tastes like. By vending at local farmer’s markets, we’ve gotten our products directly into consumers’ hands. Persistence has garnered a growing nationwide network of wholesale accounts, including retailers, restaurants, caterers, property managers, and more. Our struggle is accomplishing consistent growth in all sales channels.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
At Captain Crazy’s Nuts and Fine Snacks, all our recipes have been developed by us, and we are the creators of all our offerings. Our nuts are made for nut lovers. Our raw nuts are sourced from the finest growers in the country, and we always choose the largest size available. The seasonings that make up our original blends come from specialty purveyors in small batches to assure ultimate freshness. Our unique infusion technique absorbs the flavor into the nut, creating a deep, satisfying taste. Our nuts are not candy-coated. Our nuts are roasted by hand in small batches. We use no oil, and there’s no frying. A real smoker does our smoked nuts. There’s no liquid smoke used in our products. Our snack mixes start with one of our handcrafted nut flavors, other tasty ingredients, and spices and flavorings. Our culinary selections offer healthy, flavorful alternatives to traditional offerings.
Can you talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes us most happy is seeing the expression of surprised delight on someone’s face the first time they taste one of our nuts. It’s much like the experience of helping an angler catch their first, most prominent, or bucket-list fish, which we had for many years with our Florida Keys charter business.
Pricing:
- Nuts Retail Price $7 to $12
- Snack Mixes Retail Price $8
- Wholesale and Bulk Pricing Available Upon Request
- White Label and Private Label Pricing Available Upon Request
Contact Info:
- Website: captaincrazysnuts.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/captaincrazysnuts
- Facebook: facebook.com/captaincrazysnuts
Image Credits
Photo credit: Captain Crazy’s Nuts and Fine Snacks
