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When a sales rep dropped off some samples of "Carb Slim Bites" at the Castus Low Carb Superstore in San Ramon, owners Paul Chalupsky and Rick Schott each grabbed a package of the chocolate candies and read the ingredients.
"You become a chemist doing this," said Schott as he popped a couple of them in his mouth. Chalupsky did the same and within seconds the product passed muster. Both men nodded to an employee who'd brought the samples to their office.
Thus "Carb Slim Bites" joined the 1,600 low-carbohydrate products Chalupsky and Schott offer on the shelves of their two stores, which generate revenue of about $2 million annually. Four new, franchised stores have already been sold.
They are an odd couple - Chalupsky mild-mannered and thoughtful, Schott almost...