From a Gallon Zip Bag to a Growing Indiana Brand: The Story of Aloha Mix

Long before there was a logo, a label, or a business plan, there was a kitchen, the holidays, and a simple tradition shared between a mother and her daughter.

As a little girl, Stacie Marotta (Auntie Stacie) spent the holidays making treats with her mom for family and friends. No fancy packaging. No expectation. Just a gift of sharing something made with aloha. The recipe was simple back then. Just a sweet snack mix that everyone looked forward to receiving during the holidays. Auntie Stacie’s mom would fill a big gallon zip bag for Stacie and her brother, then smaller bags for relatives and friends. It was humble, homemade, and made with love and aloha.

That tradition did not end when Stacie’s mother passed. It evolved.

Auntie Stacie kept making the mix, each time thinking about her mom. This time, she had her nephews by her side. They baked together, laughed together, and carried on the same holiday tradition. Once again, a big zip bag for each nephew. Same spirit. Same intention. Food as a way to stay connected and show love.

As the years passed, curiosity crept in. Auntie Stacie began playing with the recipe. Tweaking. Testing. Trusting her instincts. The result was something new and unmistakable. A version that was sweet with a little bit of heat. Just enough to tickle the back of your throat and make you reach back into the bag. That version became what we now call Aloha Mix.

One nephew loved it instantly. The other had a different opinion.

“Auntie,” he said, “make me a version without the heat and I’ll say mahalo.”

And just like that, Mahalo Mix was born.

This is how food stories are meant to happen. Naturally. Personally. Around family.

Today, that story lives on through Hawaiian Hoosier Snacks & Gifts, an Indiana small food manufacturing business rooted in family, culture, and community. Aloha Mix and Mahalo Mix are now available for families everywhere to share, just as they always were meant to be.

Over time, other Hawaiian snacks and island-inspired juices were added to the lineup. New flavors, new memories, new ways to share culture through food. Yet no matter how much the menu grows, there will always be a special place in our hearts for the mix that started it all.

What began as a gallon zip bag on a holiday counter has grown into a business offering nationwide shipping, private labeling, and corporate gifting. But the heart of it remains unchanged.

Food made with love. Stories passed down through generations. Aloha meets Hoosier hospitality in Ellettsville, Indiana.

Some recipes are more than ingredients. They are memories you can taste and share for a lifetime.