Interview with House of Pops Founders: Crafting the Future of Natural, Healthy Ice Cream
House of Pops, co-founded by Mazen Kanaan and Marcela Sancho, stands at the forefront of the health and wellness revolution in the frozen treats market. Mazen, a seasoned marketing professional with 16 years of experience in the Middle East’s FMCG sector, leverages his extensive knowledge in technology, marketing, and market research to position House of Pops as a leading regional player. His passion for creating healthy, sustainable treats is matched by his dynamic personal interests, including travel, chess, and photography.
Marcela, hailing from Costa Rica, brings her rich background in hospitality management and culinary arts to the table. With a degree from Le Cordon Bleu and a love for tropical flavours, she drives innovation in the company’s product offerings. Marcela’s commitment to female empowerment and wellness infuses House of Pops with a unique blend of creativity and purpose.
Together, Mazen and Marcela are dedicated to providing all-natural, eco-friendly ice cream that delights taste buds while promoting health and sustainability.
Revolutionizing Ice Cream
House of Pops provides a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream. Committed to delivering 100% natural ice cream without refined sugar, the company prioritizes health and wellness by using only natural ingredients. Sustainability is also a key focus for House of Pops, reflected in their eco-friendly manufacturing and packaging processes that avoid plastic use. Even the uniforms worn by their promoters are made from recycled plastic bottles.
The core mission driving House of Pops is to offer a healthier, more sustainable option for ice cream lovers, blending quality with environmental responsibility.
Founding Inspiration and Journey
Marcela and Mazen's inspiration to start House of Pops stemmed from a growing trend towards healthier lifestyles and a noticeable gap in the market for refreshing, healthy ice cream options. While Mazen, who was managing an ice cream business in the region, recognized this lack, Marcela saw an opportunity to jump into the health and wellness trend. This led to the birth of House of Pops, which has become one of their core pillars. Marcela drove all the flavour innovation and production, while Mazen, with his management experience, handled the business side. Their combined skills and market insights created a perfect synergy, allowing them to capitalize on the opportunity effectively and shape the company’s direction and growth.
Flavour Inspiration and R&D Process
Marcela shared that the initial flavours of House of Pops were inspired more by her roots than her education in culinary arts. As a Costa Rican from Latin America, traditional ice cream from her region played a significant role in shaping the flavours. While some adjustments were necessary to cater to regional tastes, the essence of those traditional flavours influenced the overall R&D process. Marcela constantly seeks out tropical fruits to incorporate into their offerings, ensuring a unique and authentic taste experience.
Overcoming Challenges
One of the biggest challenges House of Pops faced was building the right team. Marcela emphasized the importance of recruiting individuals who not only had solid backgrounds but also believed in the brand as passionately as they did. This challenge was compounded by the difficulty of convincing people to leave established careers to join a startup, regardless of the compensation offered. Cash flow was another significant obstacle, as the costs of building a brand, particularly in the cold chain industry, were substantial. Since the company was bootstrapped without external investment, managing finances required a delicate balance of incremental progress and occasional financial support from institutions.
Despite these hurdles, Mazen and Marcela managed to create a compelling vision that attracted people to House of Pops, contributing to a strong brand image and a positive company culture. This culture, characterized by flexibility and opportunities for innovation, was a significant draw for their team.
Additionally, securing prime locations for their outlets was another major challenge. They aimed to establish their presence in high-traffic areas rather than starting in supermarkets. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unexpected opportunity as many outdoor operators went out of business, allowing House of Pops to secure prime locations. Their strategic foresight and a bit of luck paid off, enabling them to build brand equity and expand effectively.
Embracing Flexibility and Innovation
Reflecting on the company structure, Mazen and Marcela shared several anecdotes demonstrating how their employees have embraced the flexibility of House of Pops' working environment. Traditionally, selling ice cream to hotels would involve going through procurement and getting the product on the menu. However, their Business Development Director proposed a more innovative approach by setting up House of Pops kiosks within hotel premises, such as Hilton JBR, Meridian, DoubleTree, and Sheraton, right next to the pools. This idea was swiftly discussed and approved within five days, a stark contrast to the months it would have taken at a multinational company.
Marcela highlighted a similar agility in marketing. When their marketing manager wanted to collaborate with Deliveroo on nostalgic gelato flavours, the project went from R&D to launch within three weeks, bypassing the typically lengthy approval processes. Despite this agility, House of Pops maintains a clear brand identity and defined guidelines for collaborations. This balance of flexibility and structure ensures that while they can make fast decisions, they stay true to their core values and brand integrity.
Notable Collaborations
House of Pops has engaged in numerous exciting collaborations, reflecting its innovative spirit and commitment to quality. Marcela, dubbed the "Queen of Collaborations" by Mazen, elaborates on some standout partnerships. One notable collaboration was with Kayali, a local perfume brand. They launched a perfume with apple tones, and House of Pops created a matching pop flavour, which generated significant buzz.
@kayali Our LIMITED EDITION Kayali x House of Pops.AE pops are back with a JUICY treat! 🍎 Available in DXB & AD via deliveroo.ae 📲📦
♬ original sound - Kayali
Another significant partnership was with Deliveroo, marking their first foray into gelato. They introduced nostalgic flavours like watermelon, basil, saffron delight, and rosewater lemonade, capturing the essence of regional tastes in appealing packaging.
Additionally, House of Pops collaborated with Costa Coffee to create unique pop tales two summers ago and crafted special bites for Emirates Airlines' Business Class. Mazen highlights the importance of this collaboration, noting that Emirates' rigorous standards for food suppliers made this approval a significant achievement, bolstering both the brand's equity and the factory's reputation. These collaborations not only expanded their product range but also cemented House of Pops' position as a premium, innovative brand in the market.
Maintaining a Competitive Edge
As major corporations eye the plant-based ice cream market, House of Pops plans to maintain its competitive edge and unique value proposition through a multifaceted approach. Marcela emphasizes that House of Pops focuses on delivering an experience, not just a product. By meticulously managing customer touchpoints, whether at their JBR kiosk or in supermarkets, they create lasting loyalty.
Mazen elaborates that winning in today’s market requires more than a quality product; it’s about building a brand that resonates on a deeper level. House of Pops aims to evoke positive associations, making customers feel great, confident, and successful. This is achieved through a blend of product quality, distinctive branding, vibrant colours, strategic collaborations, targeted communications, and an engaging social media presence. Their ability to create a cohesive omnichannel experience sets them apart from larger, less agile competitors.
Marcela adds that modern consumers are increasingly conscious of product origins and company values, particularly regarding sustainability. House of Pops meets these demands by ensuring their products are not only healthy but also environmentally friendly, reinforcing their strong market position.
Commitment to Sustainability
House of Pops is deeply committed to sustainability, implementing various eco-friendly practices throughout its supply chain and production process. At the factory level, all organic waste is sent for composting through a local partner, ensuring minimal environmental impact. The packaging is entirely plastic-free, utilizing a film made from starch and a water-based coating. Additionally, the uniforms of their promoters are made from recycled plastic bottles, further emphasizing their dedication to sustainability. Their store freezers use R290 gas, which has the least impact on the ozone layer, demonstrating their advanced approach to environmental responsibility.
Mazen highlights their low global warming potential, showcasing their forward-thinking investment in sustainable practices. This proactive approach ensures they are future-proof and ready as mainstream awareness grows. Marcela adds that their commitment to vegan products inherently benefits the environment by avoiding ingredients that have a significant environmental impact, reinforcing their ethos of being good for both people and the planet.
Navigating Sustainability Challenges
Navigating the complexities of sustainability, House of Pops maintains a straightforward approach to offering vegan options, avoiding unnecessary complications that could lead to unintended negative consequences.
Mazen explains that they focus on simplicity, using locally available ingredients to create their products. For example, their super strawberry pop consists of just five ingredients: fresh strawberries, water, vegetable fibers, lime juice, and organic agave, all sourced from local markets. This natural simplicity ensures their products are vegan without resorting to elaborate measures, such as importing mangoes from Venezuela or packaging water from distant mountains to avoid plastic.
Marcela adds that they prioritize regional suppliers, choosing to source strawberries from Egypt rather than the US. These small but significant procurement decisions reinforce their commitment to regional sustainability and reduce their environmental footprint. This pragmatic approach highlights their dedication to authentic, local, and environmentally friendly practices.
Franchising and Maintaining Quality
House of Pops has experienced significant growth and expansion through franchising across the UAE and neighboring countries, but maintaining brand consistency and quality across different regions presents challenges. To address these, Mazen explains that the first step is defining clear brand guidelines. The second step involves ensuring the company has the right resources for quality control and training, fostering meaningful connections with partners. Selecting the right partners is crucial, especially when expanding beyond the UAE, as control diminishes in markets like Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. They seek partners who understand food, branding, and the importance of following established guidelines, ideally with prior franchising experience. The final step is securing robust contracts that explicitly require adherence to guidelines, preventing unauthorized modifications to branding and ensuring centralized social media management.
By focusing on clear guidelines, internal expertise, diligent follow-up, careful partner selection, and strong contractual agreements, House of Pops maintains brand integrity and quality across its expanding franchise network.
Product Development and Market Insights
House of Pops prides itself on innovation and new product lines, with a robust product development process that ensures the introduction of appealing new flavours. Marcela explains that they conduct market research to gain insights into preferred ice cream flavours. Their omnichannel approach allows them to test flavours through various channels easily. For example, they recently launched a new gelato flavour for Ice Cream Day via e-commerce, allowing them to gauge customer feedback through comments and reviews. This feedback helps them perfect recipes, which they can further test in their physical shops, such as those in JBR. This iterative process of testing and adjusting recipes based on direct customer insights ensures that only the best flavours make it to the supermarket shelves. This method is both fast and secure, providing reliable market insights that drive their product development.
Adapting to Healthier Snacking Trends
The trend towards healthier snacking is evident, and House of Pops has adeptly adapted to these changing consumer preferences. Mazen explains that the company continually listens to its consumers, utilizing social media feedback and annual research to stay attuned to market trends. They also monitor trends from Europe, which often influence the Dubai market.
One emerging trend is the desire for authenticity and traceability, where consumers want to understand the origin and footprint of every ingredient. Another significant trend is the popularity of various diets, such as keto and vegan, with keto proving particularly successful in Saudi Arabia. House of Pops is also capitalizing on the move towards more snackable formats, like bites that are easy to consume and share.
Marcela adds that presentation is becoming increasingly important, as consumers want products that are Instagram-worthy, engaging visually, as well as taste good. From the start, the company's branding focused on vibrant fruit patterns, and after a refresh two years ago, they have maintained this approach, emphasizing natural and artistic communication. This branding strategy has facilitated collaborations with the fashion and beauty industries, reinforcing their identity as a trendy, healthy, and natural brand.
Premium Pricing and Consumer Value
House of Pops products do come at a premium compared to other options, but Mazen believes consumers are willing to pay for the added value. He draws a parallel to popular coffee chains like Starbucks or Costa Coffee, where customers spend around 18-19 dirhams for a cup of coffee. In comparison, House of Pops ice cream sells for 20 dirhams, offering a healthier alternative rich in nutrients.
For instance, their watermelon pop contains only 41 calories per 80g serving. Consuming two pops provides just 4% of the recommended daily caloric intake for an adult male but delivers 70% of the daily recommended fruit intake.
This highlights the significant health benefits of their products. Mazen anticipates that as the demand for vegan and healthier options grows, the increased supply of ingredients will eventually drive prices down. However, for now, consumers recognize the value and are willing to pay a premium for these benefits.
Community Engagement and CSR
House of Pops is deeply committed to community engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR), actively participating in various initiatives. One notable effort involved partnering with Deliveroo to refresh drivers with watermelon pops, spreading happiness, and acknowledging their crucial role in the business.
In collaboration with the Al Jalila Foundation, House of Pops created a special pink pop, with proceeds donated to support the foundation's efforts. Additionally, the company has undertaken initiatives focused on animal welfare.
Mazen emphasizes their dedication to being active members of society, not just through their business operations but also by engaging with consumers and customers. As a Dubai-born brand, they take pride in their local roots and aim to expand their community contributions as they grow, further strengthening their ties and impact within the community.
Humanitarian Efforts
House of Pops maintains a neutral stance on political matters, focusing instead on the humanitarian aspects of global conflicts. Mazen explains that the brand avoids taking political positions but is committed to addressing humanitarian needs.
For instance, during the conflict in Palestine, House of Pops allocated a portion of its revenues to support humanitarian efforts in the region.
The company prioritizes playing a supportive role wherever possible, demonstrating its commitment to humanitarian causes without engaging in political discourse. This approach allows House of Pops to contribute positively to global issues while maintaining its focus on community and humanitarian support.
Apolitical Stance in Collaborations
When it comes to collaborations, House of Pops remains steadfastly apolitical, focusing on what aligns with their brand values and makes sense for their mission.
Mazen emphasizes that while he may hold personal political views, the brand itself does not take a political stance.
The company's decision-making process for collaborations is guided by what aligns with its commitment to transparency, health, sustainability, and societal good. If a collaboration aligns with these principles, it is pursued; if not, it is naturally excluded. This approach ensures that House of Pops maintains its integrity and commitment to its core values, partnering only with entities that share their ethos.
Perspective on Business Political Engagement
When asked whether businesses should take on political views, Mazen expressed that it varies by brand. Some brands, like Ben & Jerry's, are known for their strong political and social stances, reflecting their unique personality. Similarly, just as society is comprised of individuals with varying degrees of political engagement, brands also differ in their approach.
House of Pops, for instance, focuses on providing a healthier alternative for ice cream without delving into political advocacy.
Marcela added that the true impact lies in how a company conducts its business. Ethical manufacturing, the kind of products made, and overall business practices speak louder than overt political stances. The essence of their approach is to start from within, ensuring their business operations align with their values and ethics, ultimately creating a broader positive impact.
Ensuring Quality Across Channels
Ensuring consistency and quality across a diverse range of distribution channels, including retail kiosks, online platforms, and HORECA, is a critical focus for House of Pops. Mazen emphasizes that quality control starts in the factory with Marcela overseeing operations. They work exclusively with approved suppliers who meet their stringent quality standards to ensure product consistency.
Marcela highlights that their factory is FSC certified, which is among the highest certifications for quality.
The facility operates under strict standards, maintaining halal and vegan certifications to guarantee that every product complies with their rigorous quality benchmarks before reaching the consumer. This meticulous attention to quality ensures that House of Pops products remain consistent and high-quality across all channels.
Effectiveness of Distribution Channels
Mazen explains that the most effective distribution channel for House of Pops has been their kiosks.
These kiosks allow them to fully immerse consumers in the House of Pops experience, from the branding to the warm welcome from promoters and detailed explanations about the products. This direct interaction with customers has proven invaluable, making the kiosks their "kingdom" where they can best convey their brand's values and message. Consequently, the kiosks also generate the highest revenue, particularly in outdoor settings, reinforcing their importance in the overall distribution strategy.
Leadership Style and Company Culture
Mazen describes his leadership style as collaborative and evolving, influenced by his previous experience at Unilever but adapted to the unique needs of House of Pops. Together with Marcela, they have cultivated a culture where decision-making is shared through a board that listens to various viewpoints and votes on proposals. This approach ensures that the focus remains on what will help the brand grow and operate comfortably.
The leadership team at House of Pops emphasizes six key standards, including a growth mindset, accountability, and building the right culture and team. Kindness is a cornerstone value, with an emphasis on being kind and respectful while pursuing opportunities.
Marcela adds that Mazen's strength lies in his structured and strict approach to systems, ensuring that great ideas are brought to life through disciplined execution. This blend of collaboration and structured leadership has been pivotal in driving the company's success and maintaining its innovative edge.
Partnership and Ownership
Mazen explains that he and Marcela are still the sole owners of House of Pops. They have had discussions with potential partners, including an appearance on Shark Tank, but none of the opportunities aligned with their vision.
Although the negotiations were conducted in good faith, certain additional requirements ultimately led to the decision to remain independent. Mazen emphasizes that they are not opposed to bringing on partners, but they are looking for the right fit—someone who can offer more than just financial investment. They are critical of the potential value a partner can add beyond cash, which is readily available. For now, the company remains under the dedicated stewardship of Mazen and Marcela, who continue to drive its growth and innovation.
Unconventional and Experimental Flavours
House of Pops, known for its innovative plant-based frozen treats, has ventured into unconventional and experimental flavours to push the boundaries of traditional ice cream and pops. Marcela shares that they've received intriguing requests from clients, including an ice cream inspired by the flowers of the Swiss mountains.
Mazen recalls their creation of a black lemonade ice cream for Halloween, while Marcela notes that even hotel chefs bring them creative ideas. One such collaboration with Mama Rita resulted in Lebanese-inspired flavours like Orange Blossom. Despite these inventive efforts, House of Pops remains grounded in its brand ethos of natural and happy experiences. Marcela explains that while flavours like black lemonade generate excitement, consumers often prefer familiar options like mango. These unique flavours help maintain the brand's freshness and appeal, even as customers gravitate towards their comfort favourites.
Transparency and Accountability
Mazen addresses the importance of transparency in House of Pops' business operations by explaining that, as a private company, they don't have accountability to third parties but still uphold rigorous internal standards.
They employ a third-party auditor to review all operations and ensure compliance with certifications like FSC and vegan standards, which serve as quality stamps. A crucial aspect of their transparency is accurate communication about their products.
For instance, they don't claim to be sugar-free; instead, they state that they use no refined sugar, relying on natural sweeteners like agave and fruit fructose. Mazen highlights a practice by some competitors who use apple juice concentrates to sweeten products without disclosing the sugar content transparently. House of Pops avoids such misleading practices, striving to be honest and clear about their ingredients and processes. This commitment to integrity is a cornerstone of their approach, even if it means not everyone in the market adheres to the same standards.
Revenue Management and Reinvestment
Mazen provides insights into the revenue management and reinvestment strategy of House of Pops, explaining that their highest income source is still their kiosks, though expanding supermarket distribution may shift these percentages.
House of Pops operates through six channels: kiosks (which can be franchised), online e-commerce, events and catering, HORECA, school sales, and supermarket trade.
They have also expanded internationally, with a presence in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. Despite this growth, House of Pops has reinvested all profits back into the business to build the best team, acquire top-notch tools, and drive marketing and expansion efforts. Mazen emphasizes that this reinvestment strategy will continue for the next two to three years, aiming to eventually reap the benefits of their investments. Marcela notes that this journey has been nearly six years, with September 6th marking the anniversary. While the plan is to continue reinvesting, Mazen humorously mentions the possibility of selling the company in the future.
*This interview was conducted by journalist Shameena Shaffi, with videography by Habiba Shahid.