Nathan Shnaider is the 17-year-old founder of Walpole’s local business Shnaider’s Hummus. Shnaider began the business in August of 2019, with his first sale coming in October after becoming certified and locating a commercial kitchen to work in. Shnaider’s Hummus is made in the kitchen of The United Church. Shnaider is a senior in high school and currently has plans to attend Bryant University in the fall to major in finance and economics. Shnaider has dreamed of starting his own business since he was young, and finally felt he was at the right age to begin learning firsthand.

Throughout the beginning of the business, Shnaider made the hummus all by himself but as he got more orders, he hired Michelle Shnaider for extra help. The business revolves around a direct-to-customer model. The hummus is made on Sundays and is delivered by car the same day directly to people’s houses.

“It’s so easy to order, and it’s always delicious. [Shnaider] is the nicest guy, so it’s very easy to want to order more,” customer Franscesca Theofilou said.

The business has many fans, with a good following on Instagram where they also mention flavors of the week. A customer must direct message the Instagram account @shnaidershummus to order. The hummus comes with a label with the ingredients on top along with the flavor. Each case costs $4, but seasonal flavors cost $5. The business takes orders up until Saturday at 4 p.m. to ensure enough time for preparation.

The business originally began by selling classic and garlic flavors. Once the business was stable, Shnaider expanded to selling a basil flavor. He then experimented with seasonal flavors once a month for customers to try. Shnaider’s Hummus has sold classic, garlic, chipotle, basil, buffalo and roasted red pepper hummus. The buffalo flavor sold very well to customers and ultimately replaced the weekly basil flavor. Shnaider’s favorite flavor remains basil, because he constantly uses great quality, fresh basil leaves.

“I am a person that cares a lot about health, so I made it a priority from the start that our ingredients would be something I would be confident to put in my own body,“ Shnaider said.

Due to COVID-19, Shnaider’s Hummus is currently shut down with no signs of return for the near future. Shnaider believes the most important aspect is safety and health. Additionally, Shnaider’s attendance at Bryant University will halt the business, as he cannot take the business to Rhode Island. He is considering the idea of making Shnaider’s Hummus a seasonal business for the summer; however, Shnaider has much to consider before permanently making this decision.

Nonetheless, Shnaider’s Hummus remains popular amongst the Walpole community and is supported by many Walpole High School students. The main goal of Shnaider’s Hummus is to make customers happy and healthy with their choice of product.

“No other company can make and distribute the hummus in a way that is as fresh as ours,” Shnaider said.