Grape Nuts doesn’t have grapes or nuts in it. Fortunately, “Holy Crap” cereal is just a name, too.
MORNING CONSTITUTIONAL
In 2009 Corin Mullins set out to create cereal for her husband, Brian, who suffers from food allergies. With fiber, buckwheat, chia, and various nontraditional ingredients, Corin concocted a gluten-free, vegan, organic cereal that Brian loved. They thought the cereal was so good they decided to sell it locally.
Calling the cereal Hapi Food, the couple sold their first 10 bags at the Sechelt Farmers Market on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, in May 2009. When their very first customer said, “Holy crap! This is good cereal,” Brian decided to change the name. The renaming turned out to be a marketing stroke of genius. Daily sales shot up 1,000 percent—from 10 to 100 under its new name, Holy Crap.
THE TASTE OF SUCCESS
When they sold their cereal at a kiosk at the Granville Island Market during the 2010 Olympics, media attention built and orders started streaming in. The tipping point came after their appearance on the CBC show Dragon’s Den. In the show, aspiring entrepreneurs pitch to five multimillionaires with the expertise—and the money—to turn great ideas into incredible fortunes. Although the Mullins were offered a deal, it was never finalized. But the power of publicity paid off. The week after the show aired, their online store generated $1 million.
ASTRONOMICAL POPULARITY
The cereal is now carried in over 2,000 grocery and health stores throughout Canada. It’s proven to be a hit with athletes, diabetics, dieters, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, and people with high blood pressure, severe food allergies, and other food sensitivities. In 2012, Holy Crap cereal rocketed to the International Space Station where Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield ate it during his five-month mission.