15 épisodes
All About Food Founders Union Kitchen
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- Arts
Cullen Gilchrist, CEO & Founder of Union Kitchen, takes a deep dive behind the scenes of packaged Food and Beverage businesses made in DC. From launch to national scale, Cullen speaks with DC founders about their challenges and triumphs throughout their journey to building successful CPG food businesses. Union Kitchen is a food business Accelerator. We build successful food brands by bringing together our Accelerator with our Kitchen, Distribution, and Stores. Since 2012, we have worked with over 650 food businesses including over 100 Accelerator members.
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Giant Food: The recipe for success in a conventional retailer
In this episode, we speak with Gregg Dorazio and Kate Clarke from Giant Food. With a new initiative for local products, Gregg and Kate are here to discuss best practices for brands onboarding with new retailers, what makes a product stand out and shine, and why ecommerce is a great way to expand your customer base.
https://giantfood.com/ -
Stone's Throw Hash Returns to Food Founders!
In this episode, we speak with Ben James, founder of Stone's Throw Hash. Growing up in rural Virginia around neighboring farms, Ben developed a love for food. After taking courses in sustainability, Ben was shocked to learn that less than 1% of food is sourced from within 400 miles of its end destination. This inspired Ben to research and develop products to change this statistic. Initially launching as a food truck, Ben has grown Stone's Throw Hash into a CPG brand, available at Giant, Whole Foods, and many other retailers throughout the region.
Read more: Stone's Throw Hash
www.stonesthrowhash.com -
Berg Bites: Shaking Up the World of Protein One Bite at a Time
In this episode, we speak with Dan Berg, founder of Berg Bites. Dan founded Berg Bites during his Junior year at George Washington University after eating these homemade bites growing up in New York. Dan began selling Berg Bites in 2017 in the local DC market. After iterating his product packaging and gathering valuable feedback from his customer base, Berg Bites expanded their product offerings to include bites and the Mighty Bite, containing 16 grams of protein. Berg Bites is carried in hundreds of stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, online, and supplies to numerous NBA and NFL teams.
To read more about Berg Bites, click here.
https://bergbites.com/ -
Compass Coffee: How Two Former Marines Teamed Up To Create Real Good Coffee
In this episode, we speak with Michael Haft, co-founder of Compass Coffee. Michael, along with co-founder Harrison Suarez, bonded over a shared love of coffee while deployed as marines in Afghanistan. After moving back to DC, they began experimenting roasting coffee in Michael's basement. After creating the perfect roast, Michael and Harrison launched Compass Coffee, that now boasts 12 cafes, 250 staff, and a 50,000 sq. ft. roastery.
To read more about Compass Coffee, click here.
www.compasscoffee.com -
Bee J's Cookies: A Cookie Worth a Second Helping
In this episode, we speak with Bryant Jones and Andrea O'Neal of Bee J's Cookies. Bryant, our baker, doesn't have a sweet tooth; he has sweet teeth! Bryant, grew up baking with his grandmother, Sweetie. Because of this, he doesn't have a sweet tooth, he has sweet teeth! Partnering with his co-founder Andrea, who is one of five kids, the duo launched Bee J's Cookies to bring a delicious assortment of cookies that are worth seconds.
Read more about Bee J's Cookies.
www.beejscookies.com -
Swizzler: Real American Eats From College Dorms to the District
In this episode, we speak with Jesse Konig, Co-founder of Swizzler. Jesse and co-founder Ben Johnson, began their business partnership after selling hot dogs together in college at Wake Forest. Now, through their food trucks, restaurant, and CPG french fries, they are on a mission to change the way people eat by serving affordable and delicious all-American eats.
To read more about Swizzler, click here.