Cambridge importer brings exotic snacks and drinks to stores near you

When Naseem Kargil ran his own convenient store in Guelph, he would constantly be asked about new product releases popping up south of the border and abroad.

Each time he'd have to explain it wasn't yet available in Canada and may never be.

It was certainly a frustrating response for customers, but all the while Kargil was brainstorming how to solve their snack dissatisfaction.

And so North Food & Fruits Inc was born. First with a warehouse in Guelph and now featuring a showroom on Turnbull Court in Cambridge.

The company, which secures foreign snacks and beverages unavailable in the local market, serves as a wholesaler for convenience stores and candy shops in the city and surrounding area, including Twisted Schweets on Hespeler Road.

Kargil, like a lot of people, found himself regularly travelling south across the border to shop in hopes of sourcing food and drinks he couldn't find at home.

Through the company he's helped establish, he's stocked everything from Japanese KitKat bars and specialty candy flavoured popcorn to the famous Van Holten's bagged pickles. 

He even has a skid of Logan Paul's Prime hydration drink in specialty UFC 300 bottles.

Simply put, if people want it, Kargil does his best to get it.

"There's nothing like this that exists in the region," Kargil said.

"Social media is one of the biggest things, whatever new product launches in the US, everyone wants to try it."

The whole process began when Kargil brought MrBeast chocolate bars and burgers into the area.

Realizing the demand, he first focused on bringing in products from the US but quickly expanded to European and Japanese items.

Now his exotic food business has over 300 SKUs and counting.

"People go crazy over the Japanese candies and chips," he said.

"We recently signed up with Mojo, the caffeine pouches. Instead of consuming a large energy drink, you put in a pouch and get your caffeine intake. Next shipment, we're getting the Dr. Pepper coconut cream."

Every week or two the company receives new shipments but Kargil emphasized that he only sells to businesses. Individual purchases aren't available.

At the beginning, he travelled around pitching the idea and has since realized his best marketing approach is through word-of-mouth.

"Convenient stores tend to do better with the exotic stuff than with what's available everywhere," he said.

"When you walk into a store and see something new, you definitely want to give it a try."