After dropping out of a Ph.D. program at Georgetown University in 2014 to pursue entrepreneurship, John Accardi started CraveBox, a company that curates care packages and gift baskets.

At the time, he was excited to sell products online because it would allow him to be his own boss and have a flexible work schedule.

“While I was in school, I dreamed about starting my own online business, working for myself, working from any location, and not having to conform to a strict schedule,” said Accardi.

CraveBox began in his basement in Washington, D.C., and over the years has grown into larger and larger warehouses. For the past four years, CraveBox’s home has been in Montgomery County.

“The growth has been incredible,” said Accardi. “I now have an amazing staff, and we produce fantastic products. I never expected CraveBox to be this successful. I always thought it would just be me and maybe one or two employees.”

There have certainly been obstacles along the way.

Accardi said that for the first three years, he was not profitable and struggled to sell any of his snack boxes. He eventually learned how to optimize his Amazon listings, and that’s when things really took off. As sales grew, he continued to make the products better and even created new ones.

During the pandemic, sales exploded.

“We were in a 12,000-square-foot warehouse in Montco at the time and suddenly sales were up 400 percent,” Accardi said. “Everyone was staying home and looking to buy everything, especially food products, online.”

Accardi had the good problem of struggling to keep up with demand.

CraveBox moved into a larger, 60,000-square-foot warehouse in North Wales, where the company currently operates.

Since the onset of COVID-19, there have been severe supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, recession, stock-market fluctuation, and rising interest rates.

“The combination of these events puts a unique pressure on the bottom line for a lot of businesses,” Accardi said. “We’ve focused on being efficient, keeping things simple, and staying financially strong. I would bet many businesses won’t survive in this environment, and there will be significant consolidation in most industries.”

Accardi and CraveBox have been focusing on creating new varieties, like Quality CraveBox, 110ct CraveBox, and Cookies & Crackers CraveBox. With Easter on the horizon, CraveBox is gearing up with Easter Baskets and Easter Care Packages, which always sell well during this time of year.

Learn more about CraveBox.