Function Meets Flavor: Andre Melchionda of Arrivato Imports On 5 Things You Need to Create a Successful Functional Foods Brand
Quality ingredients. Consumers appreciate quality, they will pay for it and become loyal as long as they feel there is value in what you are offering.
As the appetite for foods that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition continues to grow, the market for functional foods has exploded. Consumers are no longer just asking for delicious flavors; they demand that their foods also support their lifestyle, health, and well-being. This intersection of function and flavor is not just a trend; it’s a movement towards a future where every bite counts towards better health. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Andre Melchionda.
Andre Melchionda is the Owner and Founder of Arrivato Imports, a leader in the specialty and luxury food space. Melchionda works with suppliers from across the world and locally to curate a one-of-a-kind portfolio that services top restaurants and chefs with Truffles, Australian/Japanese Wagyu, Caviar, lamb, and more luxury products.
After leaving the corporate world in 2021 to pursue his passion for specialty Italian cuisine products, Melchionda soon realized the lack of high quality and luxury products on the market and set out to source the highest quality ingredients on the planet. As a leader in the specialty and luxury food space, Melchionda works with James Beard Foundation Award Winners, Michelin Starred and Recognized Restaurants, Forbes Travel Guide Five Star winners and AAA Five Diamond Award winners.
As a fluent Italian speaker having lived outside of Rome during his childhood, Melchionda is able to communicate with his Italian suppliers on a deeper level than most, establishing lasting connections and relationships.
Melchionda is passionate about supporting his community, donating time, money and products to charitable causes, oftentimes collaborating with chefs and restaurants through events and special dinners.
He is a graduate of Florida State University where he studied economics and double minored in business analytics and business. Prior to establishing Arrivato Imports, Melchionda worked for a Private Equity Firm based in San Francisco.
Melchionda currently lives in Atlanta, the nation’s up and coming fine-dining destination, where Arrivato’s headquarters are located.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Before establishing Arrivato Imports and getting into the food industry, I have to reflect on my time spent in Italy growing up. While living there with my family for a couple of years and immersing myself in the language and culture, I experienced the fresh ingredients at each meal. Since I was young at the time, I didn’t realize and appreciate how rare and high-quality these foods were.
I moved back to St. Simons Island, Georgia with my family, graduated high school and college in the U.S. and began working at a private equity firm. While working at the firm, I was inspired by my bosses/the firm’s founders to become an entrepreneur in some capacity.
Two years later, Arrivato Imports was born. I basically had a connection with a truffle importer and did some cold calling to source these rare food products.
It seemed natural to choose Atlanta as our headquarters due to the city’s position as a hub of the Southeast and its recent influx of fine dining establishments fueled by young culinary creatives.
Now, we source ingredients across the globe, such as truffles, Australian/Japanese wagyu, caviar and seafood to restaurants and resorts with Michelin Starred and Recognized Restaurants, James Beard Foundation Award Winners, Forbes Five Star Resorts and AAA Five Diamond Winners.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Well, before I even made a sale or started my company, I had a verbal and written non-binding agreement in place to buy a similar company to Arrivato Imports. I was ready to move to a new city, looking at apartments and telling some close friends and family. At the last minute, the deal fell through. The key takeaway here is that most deals don’t go through (as certain as some may seem), and it’s very common for changes to the proposal to occur right before pen meets paper. Always have a plan B in place.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance/grit — I list both because they are slightly different. Perseverance is a little more professional. Maybe management has changed and you made it through the weeks/months of growing pains. Whereas grit is knowing you have to hit your sales target and not stopping until it’s done. -Christmas eve 2022, I drove 8 hours to pick up my largest truffle shipment I had ever ordered (which were not only delayed, but Delta told me they were lost and required me to file a claim). Instead of being home with my family, I did what I had to do.
Empathy — we are all human, anyone and everyone is going through something you don’t know about. Treating the people who work for you, who you work with and your customers with kindness, empathy and respect is everyday and natural behavior (should be, but I realize is not). It is one of our core principles at Arrivato.
Leading by example — Nearly all of the most successful leaders in history have led by example. It’s hard to motivate people to do something when they don’t see you doing it. Barking out orders with no goals or prior/future action behind it is the quickest way to demotivate and frustrate others (aka — your employees).
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
We are kicking off ecommerce on our website soon. Caviar, wagyu beef and balsamic will be available for delivery to enjoy in the comfort of your own home or during a night out. This capability will give people more access to this top-of-the-line food to introduce these products to people, integrate it into their normal cooking dishes or celebrate a special occasion. Stay tuned on the release by following us on Instagram @arrivatoimports!
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. To begin, let’s start with a definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does Functional Food mean to you?
Functional food is an umbrella term that encompasses foods that are whole, natural and beneficial to the human body. They help us function as we should and at optimal levels.
What inspired you to get involved in the functional foods industry? How does that relate to your personal life and values?
I see myself as a healthy person for the most part and realized there was a huge lack of quality ingredients here in the Southeast. Growing up in southeast Georgia, the majority of the foods I source now were rarely, if ever, available. There is no reason they shouldn’t be, so I changed that with Arrivato Imports.
Can you share your insights on the growing demand for functional foods in today’s market? How has this demand evolved over the years, and what do you attribute this change to?
More and more data/studies are being released (what seems like daily) on our food and food ingredients here in the U.S. Having data and knowing what is good for us and what is not is now easier than ever. We can literally pull out our phone and find anything we want about a product. There are over 200 food and food ingredients banned in Europe but not here. People are starting to learn and educate themselves to avoid the terrible foods that fill a large majority of the shelves in stores.
Can you discuss the process of balancing taste with nutritional value in product development, ensuring that flavor does not take a backseat to function?
Most of the ultra-highly processed foods today go for taste, but load it with junk and addictive ingredients. There are some out there who try to do both. Very few do it well. Like always, it ultimately comes down to the quality of ingredients being used. The better the ingredients the better the outcome. Of course, that quality will also impact its cost.
What innovative ingredients are you most excited about in the functional foods market, and how are they transforming consumer health and wellness?
For someone with a sweet tooth like myself, pure stevia extract (should only be 1 ingredient, be careful of “stevia” with other ingredients) and monk fruit extract are good options. Both add that sweetness to anything and won’t impact blood glucose like normal sugar does.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Functional Foods Brand”?
1 . Quality ingredients. Consumers appreciate quality, they will pay for it and become loyal as long as they feel there is value in what you are offering.
2 . Believe in your product like no other. Die on a hill for it.
3 . Take an existing product and make it better. If you know you can make a product better around the same price as someone else, go for it.
4 . Get your product(s) in the hands of the right people. If nobody knows about it, it won’t matter how good your product is.
5 . Quality branding. Everyone likes good branding. It’s not a do or die as product quality and marketing can overcome this, but you won’t want to wing this step.
How do you navigate the regulatory challenges associated with health claims on food packaging, and what advice would you give to new entrants in this space?
As a consumer, know your brands. Half of the stuff on packaging these days is fluff and marketing. Look for certified EU stamps on products and other common certified organic, paleo, etc. stamps.
In what ways have consumer preferences shaped the evolution of your product offerings, and how do you stay ahead of the curve in such a dynamic market?
Consumers have proven time and time again they want and are willing to pay for quality products. TGetting the best products we can get our hands on is really all we do and focus on at Arrivato.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Educate yourself on all the harmful products getting pumped into our foods here in the U.S. purely for the profit of big corporations. The new administration will help with some of this. They have already moved to get Red 40 Dye banned from our products in a couple years. Read your labels and know your brands.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
You can check out www.arrivatoimports.com where you will soon be able to purchase our products. You can also keep up with us on Instagram @Arrivato Imports. Reach out to our team at [email protected].
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
Function Meets Flavor: Andre Melchionda of Arrivato Imports On 5 Things You Need to Create a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.