The Entrepreneur that Carried Milas over the Skies to Starbucks

“One of the prominent sectors that had not been affected by the economic crisis of 2008 was the food sector. This was the reason we entered the food sector in America. And we named our company, which we established around that time, Milas. It is both the paternal homeland –Turkish to the core – and also with a somewhat Turkish-Greek sense. We had quite a success by renewing the items every 3-6 months. When we first entered the market in 2009, Italian goods were very popular but we began to realize during those days that the next trend to come along was going to be Greek cuisine. If we make an effort all together, the next upsurge will definitely be Turkish cuisine,” he states.

Amato, who has been successfully selling Mediterrenean goods, most of which come from Turkey, in America to chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Wholefoods, and Target, has literally flown Milas up into the skies. Goods from Milas have been included among the appetizers that various airlines serve to their passengers during flights. Amato says, “Currently, we sell our products to 15 small and large airlines, including Delta, United, Jet Blue, Air Canada, British Airways, and Easy Jet. It is a dynamic sector. It requires consistent shipping, renewal and creativity. You need to work not like a food wholesaler but rather like a catering firm.”

Lastly, Starbucks has signed a deal with Milas food company to retail Mediterranean snacks which are imported mainly from the Aegean region of Turkey. Following the deal, Turkish and Mediterranean snacks have begun to take their place on the shelves of the retail stores of the famous coffee franchise.

“Starbucks has used, terrifically, its distribution channels, which consist of over 8000 branches in fifty states and reach 300 million people, in such a way to meet new demands and has made the attempt to offer healthy snacks. And it has chosen us, as one of the youngest and fastest-growing healthy food firms, to partner with in business development. We started out on our new deal with Starbucks with the Mediterranean olive as the first item. The green olive snacks, which we offer under the brand name ‘Oloves’, have begun to take their place on the retail chain’s shelves and we are also working on far greater projects together,” says Amato.