Jesse Konig on Revolutionizing Fries and Rethinking Fast-Casual Food

#86. What does it take to revolutionize fries and rethink fast-casual food? Jesse Konig, Co-Founder of Swizzler and Jesse & Ben’s Fries, joins us on this episode to share his journey of turning a simple side dish into a product with purpose. 

Jesse dives into the origins of their signature house-cut style fries and walks us through the typical process of making frozen fries. He discusses the surprising and unwanted ingredients often found in food and how he and Ben are challenging that with their clean, thoughtfully sourced recipes. 

We also explore the unique cost structure behind Swizzler’s operations and hear Jesse’s vision for the future of fast food.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about innovation, quality, and creating a food system we can all feel good about. 

Where to find Jesse Konig:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Where to find Jesse and Ben's

• Website
• Instagram

Where to find Swizzler

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• Twitter

In this episode, we cover:

(03:00): The creation of the frozen fry
(13:09): How frozen fries are typically made
(19:22): Finding unwanted ingredients in food
(32:00): Jesse and Ben's ingredients
(41:00): Swizzler and it's COGS
(45:21): What does 10 years in the future look like for Jesse?