Actor, producer and storyteller Glen Powell is bringing a fresh perspective to the pantry aisle as co-founder of Smash Kitchen, a brand focused on bold flavors and pantry staples made with simple ingredients. As Target continues to lead with merchandising authority with a thoughtfully curated assortment, Smash Kitchen brings the newness and flavors guests are looking for.
We spoke with Glen about the inspiration for Smash Kitchen, the brand’s mission to upgrade pantry staples and what Target shoppers should be excited to try first.
What inspired you to launch Smash Kitchen, and what gap did you see in the pantry aisle?
Food has always been a huge part of my life. Whether it’s backyard barbecues or sitting around the dinner table, it’s how I connect with the people I love. I’ve always cared deeply about what goes into the food my friends and family are eating, and that became the foundation for Smash Kitchen. It can often feel like you have to choose between clean, high-quality ingredients, affordability and great taste. Smash Kitchen was created to bring all of that together and make those options more accessible to everyday households.
Smash Kitchen started with condiments. How has the brand evolved into a broader pantry brand?
Growing up in Texas, barbecue sauce was always on the table. But from day one, this was never just about one category — it was about the American pantry. Now we’re building it out the right way across sauces, cooking oils and everyday essentials. We’re not trying to reinvent how people eat, we’re just making the pantry a whole lot better.
How do you define “better-for-you” for Smash Kitchen?
It means using high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients and focusing on clean labels, organic options and non-GMO ingredients where it matters, while leaving out unnecessary additives and preservatives that don’t need to be there. Flavor is also a huge part of our brand. We want everything we make to taste just as good, if not better, than the traditional options people already love.
Which products best represent Smash Kitchen for a guest discovering the brand for the first time at Target?
I’d say our Hot Honey BBQ Sauce and Hot Honey Ketchup. I’m pretty firmly in the “hot honey everything” camp. If you’re not chasing the heat, our American Style BBQ Sauce and Classic Tomato Ketchup are just as solid. That lineup really captures what Smash Kitchen is all about: big, craveable flavors with clean labels, organic ingredients and no shortcuts. It’s the foundation of the brand and exactly the kind of products we’re excited to keep putting in people’s kitchens.
Why was Target the right partner for this next stage of growth?
Target is where people go to discover new brands and products that fit the way they want to shop and eat today and that’s exactly where we want to be. We’re excited to bring Smash Kitchen to Target shoppers in a way that feels fresh, approachable and easy to incorporate into everyday meals. We hope people feel like they’ve discovered something that instantly upgrades their meals without any extra effort. And most importantly, that it becomes one of those pantry staples they keep reaching for again and again.
How has your role as a co-founder shaped the storytelling and identity of the brand?
It really started with a personal passion for what goes into our bodies and what we’re feeding our families, and that mindset naturally helped shape how we tell the story of Smash Kitchen. But it’s not just my perspective. As co-founders, Sameer, Sean and I bring a shared point of view that keeps the brand authentic. We all really care about making sure our brand delivers products we’re genuinely proud to have in our own kitchens.
The brand talks about “reshaping the American pantry.” What does that mean to you?
Reshaping the American pantry means rethinking the everyday staples people reach for and making them better across the board. It’s about taking familiar favorites and upgrading them with higher-quality ingredients, bold flavors and no unnecessary extras. It also means making those choices more accessible, so you don’t have to compromise between what tastes good and what you feel good about.
What’s next for Smash Kitchen?
We have a lot of exciting launches coming up, and we’re really focused on continuing to grow the brand and show up in more American pantries. We just launched our Tex-Mex line, which I’m especially excited about, and it’s a great example of how we’re expanding into new flavors and cuisines. There’s a lot more in the pipeline, and we’re just getting started when it comes to bringing new, craveable products to shelves.
