In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Bar Bruhis, founder of Boostcous - the world's first better-for-you couscous, built to fill a gap in a grocery aisle that hasn't seen a single innovation while pasta brands like Banza and Goodles have completely reinvented their category. Boostcous delivers 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving using just three ingredients - chickpeas, lentils, and peas - with zero fillers or xanthan gum.
Bar was born in Israel, grew up eating couscous, and spent two years and over 100 kitchen batches formulating a version that actually tastes good. He comes from a DTC and SaaS background, launching direct-to-consumer first to prove product-market fit before ever approaching a retailer - hitting 10,000 Shopify orders in six months.
Caitlin and Bar dig into his immigrant mentality and why he built such a strong network early, the genius post-purchase survey question that got him a call with a Costco buyer, and why he's now in Lieber's Locavore and pitching Whole Foods and Walmart after his first trade show at Summer Fancy Food.
Listen in as they discuss:
- Why the couscous aisle has seen zero innovation while pasta has been completely reinvented by brands like Banza and Goodles
- How a licensing deal with an Italian protein-couscous manufacturer collapsed overnight because of Trump-era tariffs
- Betting a small, capped amount of personal capital with a U.S. co-man just to test product-market fit
- Hitting 10,000 Shopify orders in six months and why starting DTC-first was non-negotiable
- Bar's immigrant mentality, early mentorship from Noah Kagan, and building an entire events business (D2Ski) just to deepen his CPG network
- The one post-purchase survey question that turned into a Costco buyer call within three days
- Going from zero in-person sampling to landing on shelf at Lieber's Locavore through Startup CPG's Denver grocery run
- Key lessons from Boostcous's first major trade show at Summer Fancy Food, including new conversations with Whole Foods and Walmart
- Why gluten-free shoppers and parents of toddlers have become two of Boostcous's strongest customer demographics
Episode Links:
- Bar Bruhis – Founder, Boostcous LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbruhis/
- Website: boostcous.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/boostcous
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Show Links:
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- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Head to eatmezcla.com and use code STARTUPCPG for 20% off your first order.
Promo code expires on September 30th 2026.
