Midday Squares wants to be your go-to afternoon treat

A Montreal snack business is expanding production thanks to provincial investments.

It took a lot of hard work for the team at Midday Squares, to get to where they are today.

The company was founded by husband and wife Nick Saltarelli and Lezlie Karls-Saltarelli, and Lezlie’s brother, Jake Karls.

They built their business one bar at a time.

Lezlie says the idea came from wanting to have healthier snack options.

“Nick was always eating junk. Junk in the afternoon when he would work. And so I made him a cleaner, better for you version of what, you know, he was eating.”

Nick and Lezlie had been thinking of starting their own company, so they began small, with the Midday Squares, concept.

“We changed our entire condo into a kitchen… And the whole hallway smelt like chocolate.”

They brought Jake along for the ride, and he says many people thought they we’re taking a big risk.

“I remember people used to tell us, like, ‘You’re out of your mind, it’s impossible.’”

They went from making 80 bars a day in their kitchen, to now having their own manufacturing space.

Jake says it’s thanks to funding.

“Investment Quebec, a great program here in Quebec, helped to actually fund this facility. They actually helped us actually finance this. And without that, we wouldn’t be here today. Six and a half years later, we’re in our own facility here in Montreal, in Lachine, actually, and it produces over 100,000 bars per day.”

The team says their product is a healthy afternoon snack option, and Nutrionist Robin Glance, agrees.

“We do hit that wall come 3 p.m., 4 p.m. And that’s usually when we were reaching for another coffee or that quick hit of something sweet to wake us up. When in fact, we are probably in need of some food and some nourishment,” she says.

“Yes, of course we’re going to look at ingredients, but I need it to be tasty, and I need it to be satisfying. And they do seem to fit the bill.”

The entrepreneurs have finally earned a spot in a major retailer, Costco.

They say the customer demand for Midday Squares, is there. And as they continue to expand, they plan to keep their business here at home, explains Nick.

”All three of us are die-hard Montrealers... It’s been a minute that there’s been a new entrance on the North American global stage of a company that was built grass roots in Montreal.”