In today’s world, it’s very rare to find the combination of health and convenience. Most businesses ensure convenience at the cost of health. However, ‘Pantried,‘ an online and offline retail store by Samia Rahman, offers both. This is the story of how Samia Rahman turned her idea into a household name, overcame challenges, and became an inspiration.
Sparking of an idea
Samia Rahman, a Bangladeshi descendant, was born and raised in Detroit. She is a passionate cook and a nutritionist. She was always searching for meals that would be a combination of nutrition and deliciousness, and that would be made of high-quality and natural ingredients. Unfortunately, she often found markets soaked with low-quality and expensive options. The frustrations lead her to an idea. She thought of creating a brand that would make healthy meals simple and tasty. The name ‘Pantried’ was approached from the concept of a pantry filled with clean, fresh and healthy ingredients and ready to bring joy back to the kitchen.
From idea to action
Since Samia was a nutritionist, she understood why people faced challenges in making healthy food quite easily. And the reason was the lack of reliable options. She began experimenting with spice blends, nut butter granola, etc., in her home kitchen, which were small batches of organic, preservative-free products. She shared these homemade products with family and friends at first. When she got positive feedback, Samia decided to turn her passion into purpose.
The challenges
It’s known to all of us that no business is easy. Samia Rahman faced a lot of challenges along the way, including sourcing high-quality raw materials and ensuring environmentally friendly packaging. Educating consumers about the importance of healthy eating and why investing in ingredients with high-quality matters was no less than a great challenge.
Furthermore, since it was her first time as an entrepreneur, she had to gain the trust of suppliers and financial institutions. Many were at sixes and sevens regarding her vision in a market dominated by popular brands.
The launch
Samia officially launched Pantried in metro Detroit in 2017 with a group of friends. Her commitment to quality and transparency resonated with consumers. Each of her products came with labels listing the ingredients and nutritional information in order to gain her customers’ trust.
After a while, she started sharing her story online, and that was a major turning point for her business. She started to connect with her customers through social media by posting recipes, tips and personal narratives. This initiative really helped ‘Pantried’ to establish itself as a lifestyle.
Growth and Innovation
When ‘Pantried’ started gaining popularity, its product range expanded. Today, the brand offers gluten-free flour, organic spices, vegan spreads, and ready-to-cook meal kits and caters to diverse customer needs. Each product reflects Samia’s dedication to innovation and her understanding of modern consumers’ lifestyles. Samia started an offline retail service to make ‘Pantried’ more accessible. She partnered with organic stores and supermarkets. The company was rebranded with a beta launch of 5-6 stores in 2021.
Samia faced obstacles even after the success. Balancing quality with affordability not overshadowed by the famous brands and maintaining a sustainable supply chain was quite challenging. However, she overcame the situation with her dedication.
In future, Samia plans to introduce more innovative products. She dreams of expanding her business into international markets. As she is one of metro Detroit’s Bangladeshi Women Entrepreneurs, she wants to launch educational programs to support women entrepreneurs. Her vision is to make ‘Pantried’ a global symbol of healthy living.
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Writer
Kazi Mirana Mainuddin
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE