HallPass wants a bite of the candy category

NEW YORK — With HallPass, Michael Tierney is trying to build what he sees as a missing fourth player in confectionery: a low-calorie, low-sugar brand differentiated by product formulation and aimed at a category led by Mars, Inc., The Hershey Co. and the Ferrero Group.

“Our mission is to make candy that tastes just like the classics with a fraction of the calories at a price point that everyone can enjoy,” Tierney said.

HallPass, a sister business of Peter Rahal’s company David and under the Medici Brands umbrella, is formulated with the same EPG (esterified propoxylated glycerol) fat system that David uses in its bars and frozen desserts.

Prior to launching HallPass Tierney founded Stuffed Puffs in May 2019. Stuffed Puffs is a manufacturer of marshmallows that feature a chocolate filling. Two years ago, the company was acquired by Mount Franklin Foods.

Tierney said the sweetener system is another important part of the formulation that works alongside the fat system to mirror the taste of sugar in candy while removing calories.

“We use soluble corn fiber to replace the solids and bulking that sucrose traditionally provides,” he said. “We also use tagatose along with a little allulose as the foundation for building the sweetness profile of traditional sugar, with a small amount of erythritol and trace amounts of sucralose and Ace-K (acesulfame potassium) to deliver the iconic candy taste.”

HallPass is launching with five stock-keeping units nationwide at Walmart this month.

The lineup spans familiar confectionery formats — two peanut butter cups, two peanut creme wafers in 1.5 oz sizes and chocolatey candy pieces in a 1.53 oz size in single-serve packs.

The products contain 70 calories and 1 gram of sugar per package and are priced at $1.82.

Photo: ©ERMAN GUNES – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

The focus for the launch is a front-end impulse, low-cost-of-entry business model to drive trial while keeping HallPass priced close to its competitors, Tierney said.

“One of the biggest hurdles of what we’re trying to accomplish, what so many (businesses) before us have promised, is delivering great taste with great nutrition,” he said. “Many have failed on taste. When we say a third of the calories of competitors, most people hear it’s not going to taste good. Trial for us is the most important thing because tasting is believing.”

Launching into a category that has few challenger players beyond the mainstays, HallPass is targeting frequent peanut butter cup buyers and health-conscious consumers.

“Can we get you to switch between what you’re buying today, what you’re buying in volume, and get you onto something different?” Tierney said. “Then, balancing that with the other end of the spectrum: You’ve left the category, but you love this product, so can we bring you back and then work ourselves toward the middle, which would be broader chocolate confection?”

As HallPass grows its footprint, Tierney said the company’s goal is to be available wherever confectionery products are sold.

“We are focused on being a true competitor to the big three, which own the vast majority of the confectionery business,” he said. “There isn’t a fourth player.”

Enjoying this content? Learn about more disruptive startups on the Food Entrepreneur page.