The humble chickpea is about to muscle aside legendary snack foods such as the potato and the peanut thanks to two Queens businessmen who have a big obsession with the small legume.
Long-time friends David Levi and Darren Shlisky are behind Chic-A-Peas — baked chickpeas with oil and seasoning — that they churn out in their Long Island City plan.
And now they’re poised to roll out their first mass-produced batch thanks to seed money raised on Kickstarter.
The buddies — who were fraternity brothers at SUNY Albany in 1999 — have raised almost all of their $12,500 goal with one week remaining.
“We’d like to see this in health food stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s,” said Levi, 32, who works in finance.
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The reason is clear: The chickpea is a true wonder of the junk food aisle. An ounce of the Chic-A-Peas boasts 6 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fat and 110 calories while the same size serving of Lay’s potato chips has only 2 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat and 160 carloies.
“The protein and fiber keep you very full,” said Shlisky, 33, a mortgage banker.
Independent food experts said the chickpea is an “inexpensive alternative to meat.”
“They are relatively low in calories, but a good source of protein and only a trace of fat,” said Dr. Ashima Kant, a nutrition professor at Queens College.
Peanuts — a more popular and much-hyped member of the legume family — are also packed with protein, but “have more fat,” Kant noted.
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Levi and Shlisky came up with the business idea one fateful night in 2010 — during a legendary “snack-cident” when they overcooked a batch of chickpeas.
Like the inventors of the Tollhouse cookies or the peanut butter cup, the two realized they were onto something and spent the next two years refining the recipe at the Queens Economic Development Corporation food incubator.
They’ve spent $20,000 of their own money on their pea-sized obsession.
“It’s non-stop. Every night, every weekend, we’re working on this,” said Shlisky. “I talk to him more than I talk to my wife on some days — it’s a second job.”
The buddies’ business acumen has helped maneuver the complex food industry that includes suppliers, distributors and hurdles like trademarking.
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More important, they’re happy to be flexing their atrophied creative muscles, they said.
“Numbers are numbers, you can’t really be creative,” said Shlisky. “Here, we can be creative.”
The duo is banking on what they think is their biggest asset Chic-A—Peas’ long-term success — the strong bond that makes them two peas in a pod.
“It lets us be honest with each other and put a check on each other,” said Levi. “If I had to go into business with anyone, it would be Darren.”
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