A Swansboro man and U.S. Army veteran, alongside his business partner, is taking the snack world by storm with their potato chip company.
Theodore “Ted” Pope is the president and owner of Avner Asset, a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and certified Historically Underutilized Business.
Pope served 22 years in the Army. His business partner is former chef and active-duty Marine John Doreus.
Their product? Potato chips. But not just any potato chips.
Limyé chips are kosher, gluten free, vegan, non-allergenic and a non-genetically modified organism, GMO. They also don’t contain red dye 40, Pope said.
This is especially important to Pope, whose son has autism, as there have been studies suggesting the dye has behavioral effects on children with autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, he said.
“We wanted a potato chip that could go on any shelf,” he said. “But nobody cares if they don’t taste good.”
That’s where Doreus came in. Pope called him the “flavor chemist.”
In fact, Limyé is Doreus’ daughter’s name. That’s how Pope and Doreus came together in the first place. Their daughters are friends.
Doreus and his family are currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
“I told him, I said, man, I could use your help,” Pope chuckled. “But I always tell him, you’re still defending the country, son. So, I’m gonna let you do that.”
Pope said the chips are actually made in Mansfield, Ohio, not too far from where he’s originally from in Pittsburgh.
All Limyé chips are steamed and washed six times, using only fresh oil, and they all have a bold and unique Caribbean flavor. Currently, the business offers Bud Naked, World Spice, and Sweet Heat BBQ.
Doreus has been working hard on developing new flavors, though.
Still to come are Hot Cheddar, Hot Honey, Sour Cream and Honey, BBQ and Sour Cream, Flamin’ Sour Cream, Extra Hot BBQ, and Kickin’ Ranch.
Pope said they sold their first chip in August 2022, and in that time, the business has really taken off.
“We are approved vendors for Sodexo, Aramark, Delta Air Lines, Marriott, American Airlines, United Airlines, and now, the Defense Logistics Agency,” Pope said.
Becoming an recently approved vendor for Aramark, Pope said, has opened the doors to getting Limyé chips in stadiums and colleges all over the country.
The Pittsburgh Steelers even invited him to Acrisure Stadium.
“We’re growing and we’re getting a lot of traction,” Pope said. “It’s kind of surreal that you go to a place, you pitch your product, and nobody is really saying no.”
Limyé chips are locally sold at Piggy Wiggly, Mac Daddy’s, Bogue Distillery, Sweeter Things, Ace Hardware in Swansboro, Coastal Carolina Community College, Take A Break in the Jacksonville Mall, the Courtyard Inn, the Fairfield Inn, the Hilton Garden Inn, the Hampton Inn and Suites, and the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in both Jacksonville and Swansboro.
Onslow Memorial Hospital also has them, as does Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, several local convenience stores, and many of the local high schools.
Pope said they’re now working to bring a factory to Swansboro, since that’s their home base.
His niece is running the Pittsburgh operation, and Cumberland County has also expressed interest, he said.
Pope dropped off 24 cases of chips at Fort Bragg earlier this month, and they were gone in less than a week, he said.
Pope laughed that they’re growing so quickly, he’s going to need to hire some people smarter than him.
“We’re excited about where we’re going,” he said.
Limyé chips are also available to buy on Amazon and Shopify, and Pope said they plan to donate a portion of their proceeds to Wounded Warriors and autism awareness.
For more information, visit limyepotatochips.com.
