No member of the Macks family of Naples can recall how they snacked before Ellen Macks created the crunchy seed crisps now known as Ella’s Flats. “As soon as we had them in our home, we could not do without them,” Macks says.
The recipe came from a family friend. Macks tinkered with it until she arrived at a blend that resulted in a more uniform shape. Family and friends urged Macks to approach local markets to sell the crisps commercially. With some coaching from entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox (then-owner of Three60 Market) and buyers from other local stores, she honed her marketing. Oakes Farms, Wynn’s Market, Ada’s Natural Market, and Lucky Supermarket put them on the shelves. Lucky stores soon stocked them regionally, and then came Amazon.
Ella’s Flats come in six flavors: caraway, sesame, hemp, cumin, spicy, and everything. They are available nationwide through Amazon and at the local markets aforementioned, some Publix locations, and other purveyors.
“It’s a premium product you can treat yourself to every day with no sacrifice,” Macks says. Made entirely of seeds and spices, the crisps are gluten-free and vegan. Because they are high in protein and fiber and low in carbohydrates, they help prevent blood sugar spikes, support digestive health, and are rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. That makes them compatible with low-carb, keto, paleo, and Whole30 diets. All that nutrition is baked into a cracker that tastes good, satisfies the eternal need for crunch, and goes with just about everything.
Macks is especially proud that women own the company. The owners include Macks, her two daughters, her daughter-in-law, and her sister. While the company develops new products, the current focus is making Ella’s Flats available in more brick-and-mortar stores across the country. It’s likely that Neapolitans will taste the newest products before anyone else because Macks plans to continue testing her products in Naples, where her support began.
“My retail contacts here have been my biggest support system,” she says. “Because we have these wonderful independent stores, they made their own decisions and agreed to try them. That wouldn’t necessarily be true in other places.”
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