32 Successful Entrepreneurs Disrupting The Food Industry (Examples + Case Studies)
Starting a food business can involve opening your own restaurant, bakery, food truck, cake shop, or even starting a business or blog online.
Other kinds of food businesses include manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Food businesses prepare a wide range of foods such as snacks, sweets, and meals to sell directly to consumers and also include cafeterias at workplaces and similar facilities.
If you have a passion for food, starting a food business can be an extremely fun, challenging, and rewarding business venture.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a food startup:
1. KÜiK Meal ($144K/year)
Enric Miquel, the founder of KÜiK Meal, came up with the idea for his business after his brother introduced him to a complete powdered food called Soylent during his stay in Silicon Valley. Realizing the lack of such products in Spain, Enric saw an opportunity to use his company's technology to develop a complete and balanced meal replacement. Since its launch, KÜiK Meal has served 14,000 meals across Spain, France, and Portugal, and has gained world champion runner Ragna Debats as an ambassador.
How much they make: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
Current team size: 6
KUIK Meal, the sweet and savory complete food powder company, crowdfunded €5,000 in 5 weeks to secure production of the first 400 units and has since served 14,000 meals across Spain, France, and Portugal with a 36% growth in revenue from the last 6 months of 2018 to the first 6 months of 2019.
2. Golden Root ($48K/year)
A Phlebotomist by profession, Andrea quit her job to work in many food startups, and her experience in the farm lit a fire in her to provide healthy food to people.
How much they make: $48K/year
Current team size: 0
Denver-based founder Andrea Slinde built her own organic food start-up, Golden Root, which sells trendy Turmeric Latte Mix online and now in 50 coffee shops nationwide, with an average monthly revenue of $4K, a long term objective of expanding into traditional grocery sales, and uses Shopify, Recharge, Mailchimp, Shipstation, and QuickBooks to manage e-commerce and finances.
So... can you actually make money with a food startup?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Ka-Pop! Snacks ($1.2M/year)
Dustin Finkel, the creator and CEO of Ka-Pop! and Awakened Foods, came up with the idea for his snack business after realizing the lack of genuinely authentic and delicious snacks in the market. As a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, Finkel wanted to create snacks that were both healthy and tasty, leading him to develop the Ka-Pop! line using 100% Ancient Grains and natural seasonings. Since its launch, the business has experienced impressive growth, with over 300% annual growth and projected annual sales of nearly $10 million by the end of 2021.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
Current team size: 50
Ka-Pop! is an Ancient Grain snack company that has grown over 300% per year, reaching nearly $10 million in annual sales by 2021, through innovation, passion, demos, social media, TV appearances, and driving relationships with retailer partners.
4. Love Good Fats ($36M/year)
Suzie Yorke, a CPG marketing executive and fitness enthusiast, came up with the idea for Love Good Fats after shifting to a high-fat, low-carb, low-sugar diet and struggling to find convenient snacks that fit her new lifestyle. Recognizing a gap in the market, she developed a line of delicious, healthy, and keto-friendly bars. Since its launch, Love Good Fats has achieved rapid growth, generating over $120 million in cumulative sales and expanding to over 10,000 stores in North America.
How much they make: $36M/year
How much did it cost to start: $400
Current team size: 20
Love Good Fats, a Canadian-based family of food products, has already exceeded $120 million in cumulative sales and is one of the fastest-growing bar brands in North America, thanks to founder Suzie Yorke's mission to bring back good fats and say goodbye to sugar.
So... can you actually make money with a food startup?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. CandyCan ($180K/year)
Krik, the co-founder and CEO of Protes Protein Snacks, came up with the idea for his business when he was in college and realized there was a lack of satisfying protein snacks like chips on the market. After leaving his corporate finance job and spending months perfecting the recipe, Protes Protein Snacks became the world's first protein chip and now has its products in over 10,000 retail stores nationwide.
How much they make: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
Current team size: 2
An entrepreneur started a protein snacks company which launched six years ago and now has its products in over 10,000 retailers nationwide, through getting rid of their early mistakes, and looking to e-commerce for future growth.
6. EatTiamo ($120K/year)
Nicholas Figoli and his business partner Francesco Pelosi came up with the idea for EatTiamo while they were living abroad in Paris and missing the taste of authentic Italian cuisine. They noticed the lack of affordable and easily accessible Italian products in the market, especially in the US where the demand for Italian food is high. This led them to launch EatTiamo, the first subscription food box service that brings the best of Italian food directly to American families.
How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 5
Italian food subscription box service, EatTiamo, delivers monthly boxes of carefully selected Italian delicacies to 300 American families across the US, with the aim of reaching a break-even point of 1,000 boxes per month by 2020.
So... can you actually make money with a food startup?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. Peaceful Fruits ($180K/year)
After serving in the U.S. Peace Corps and realizing he wanted to start a sustainable business, Evan Delahanty decided to launch Peaceful Fruits. He identified a lack in premium fruit snacks, focused on creating a product with a strong backstory, and started prototyping and manufacturing the snacks using a small dehydrator and commercial kitchens. Through digital sales and a successful Kickstarter campaign, Peaceful Fruits experienced steady growth, culminating in an appearance on Shark Tank.
How much they make: $180K/year
Current team size: 4
Peaceful Fruits, an award-winning for-profit social enterprise, sells organic, clean label, natural fruit snacks and has gone from $8,000 in sales in 2015 to $150,000 in 2017, employing 30 people with disabilities in their production facility and is an excellent example of a successful, mission-based business.
8. Kyra's Bake Shop, LLC ($768K/year)
After realizing the benefits of a gluten-free diet for her own health, Kyra decided to pursue her passion for baking and attended pastry school. She honed her skills and developed delicious gluten-free recipes, eventually starting her own bakery with a small investment of $62,000. Through strategic PR and saying yes to every opportunity, Kyra's Bake Shop gained a loyal following and continues to attract and retain customers, with an average monthly revenue of $120,000.
How much they make: $768K/year
How much did it cost to start: $62K
Current team size: 11
Gluten-free bakery, Kyra's Bake Shop, started with a home kitchen and has now grown to a 3,500 square foot flagship bakeshop/cafe and a second location, with a monthly average revenue of $120,000 from the flagship store, through prioritizing product quality and strategic thinking.
9. ChipMonk Baking ($1.08M/year)
The founders of ChipMonk, David Downing and Jose Hernandez, came up with the idea for their low carb, gluten-free dessert business after Jose, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, baked his own low carb chocolate chip cookies. Realizing the opportunity to fill a market gap, they started selling their cookies at local farmer's markets before scaling up production and launching their website. They have since raised $350,000 and are focused on building their own bakery and warehouse space to support future growth.
How much they make: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 10
ChipMonk co-founders built a mail-order bakery selling low carb, gluten-free desserts, making around $25,000 a month with growth through e-commerce, and plans to tighten budgets and conserve cash in challenging times.
10. janori ($36K/year)
Raphael and Johanna Spannocchi founded janori after realizing the flaws in the current food distribution system. They wanted to create a platform that connected customers directly with local food producers, allowing them to support small businesses and enjoy delicious, organic products. After launching in November 2020, their best-seller was the Christmas box, containing chocolates, sugared almonds, and more.
How much they make: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 0
Janori, an online store founded by Raphael and Johanna Spannocchi, sells local, organic food and offers monthly food boxes with 80+ products from 14 vendors, with its best-seller being the Christmas box, and aims to create a circle of support for suppliers by focusing on the people and creating compelling content.
11. The House of Leaf & Bean Inc. ($360K/year)
After being diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and experiencing the transformative power of a healthy diet, Wen decided to launch House of Leaf & Bean, an organic restaurant and cafe. With a mission to make healthy living and healthy dieting accessible and affordable for everyone, Wen and her team started by experimenting with making fresh soymilk and tofu, and eventually expanded to offer a range of delicious organic plant-based dishes. The business has seen steady growth, with 80% of sales coming from drive-thru and in-store purchases, and plans are underway to establish an organic production facility and expand into wholesale and retail markets.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500K
Current team size: 7
This case study follows the journey of Wen, the founder of House of Leaf & Bean, an organic restaurant and cafe, who left her corporate job due to her passion for healthy living and curing her Irritable Bowel Syndrome through lifestyle changes, and now serves fresh and organic meals to help patients reverse or improve their health conditions, with a goal to make healthy food and healthy living more affordable and accessible.
12. ABS Protein Pancakes ($300K/year)
Ashley Drummonds, creator of ABS Protein Pancakes, came up with the idea while working as a personal trainer and wanting to provide a healthy and convenient meal option for her clients. After crafting her own protein pancake recipe, she began sharing it with her clients, who loved it and spread the word. With a passion for breakfast food and a desire to make a bigger impact, Ashley turned her recipe into a business, starting with taking orders manually and eventually finding a manufacturer to produce her product. Through social media marketing and a big boost from appearing on Shark Tank, ABS Protein Pancakes gained nationwide exposure and experienced significant sales growth. Ashley continues to attract customers through social media strategies, collaborations, and a focus on connection, story, and quality rather than seeing competition.
How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 1
ABS Protein Pancakes founder, Ashley Drummonds, tells the story behind the growth of her business from making her pancake recipe in her apartment kitchen to an appearance on the US TV show Shark Tank and how social media has played a crucial role in her marketing.
13. Daily Harvest ($50M/year)
How much they make: $50M/year
Current team size: 360
Daily Harvest offers organic, clean, and fresh fruits and vegetables that are dairy-free, gluten-free, and gum-free, leading to its status as one of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands in New York in 2016, making over $250M in revenue in five years.
14. LEAN BENTO ($1.01M/year)
How much they make: $1.01M/year
Current team size:
Lean Bento co-founders use engineering research to develop customizable menu combos for their 13-item healthy meal restaurant, which expanded to a delivery service for the entire island after only one year of operation.
15. Shake Shack ($740M/year)
How much they make: $740M/year
Current team size: 3386
Shake Shack went from a single hot dog stand to a global fast food chain with over 270 locations thanks to its fresh, high-quality, and delicious food at an incredible price.
16. Grain ($1M/year)
How much they make: $1M/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
Current team size: 60
Grain is a Singapore-based food and beverage services brand founded in 2014 that uses cloud kitchens to provide wholesome nutritious meals, meal plans, catering services, packaged drinks, and more to their customers while offering a line of Marvel merchandise.
17. Trini Pepper Sauce ($27K/year)
Mustafa Mannan, co-founder of Trini Pepper Sauce, came up with the idea after his family's pepper sauce recipe from Trinidad and Tobago received much praise from friends in North Carolina. To bring the sauce to a wider audience, Mustafa launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $32,000, enabling them to import the peppers, manufacture the first batch, and distribute the sauce domestically and internationally.
How much they make: $27K/year
Current team size: 3
Trini Pepper Sauce co-founder and co-owner, Mustafa Mannan, shares how he successfully imported and manufactured his family's unique pepper sauce recipe and launched it through a Kickstarter campaign, now selling an average of $3,000/month in revenue.
18. Huy Fong Foods ($150M/year)
How much they make: $150M/year
Current team size: 38
Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha sauce, also known as rooster sauce, generates $150 million in revenue annually, accounting for 10% of the US market for hot sauce, despite founder David Tran starting out selling his sauces out of a blue Chevy van.
19. Sienna Sauce ($192K/year)
How much they make: $192K/year
Current team size: 3
A teenage entrepreneur's homemade chicken wing sauce, Sienna Sauce, has become a $192,000 revenue-generating empire sold in 70 US stores, through building a loyal customer base, starting small, and expanding to retail, marketing through branding, consistency and leveraging family support.
20. Pip & Nut ($12M/year)
How much they make: $12M/year
How much did it cost to start: $12K
Current team size: 30
Pip & Nut, a nut butter brand founded in 2013, is now present in 6,000 stores throughout the UK and Europe and has a team of 20+ people, all while dedicated to supporting local communities and reducing carbon print.
21. Aybla Grill ($648K/year)
How much they make: $648K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
Current team size:
From Syria to Portland: How one restaurateur started with $20K and now runs a successful business with 3 food trucks and average monthly revenue of $50K.
22. FireCreek Snacks ($500K/year)
How much they make: $500K/year
Current team size: 2
FireCreek Snacks provides a healthy, all-natural snack with exceptional taste, made with pure and traditional ingredients, containing no artificial ingredients, being gluten-free, soy-free, MSG-free, and high in protein and low in sugar.
23. Serenity Kids ($9M/year)
How much they make: $9M/year
Current team size: 33
Serenity Kids, a baby food company offering a balanced ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, raised $3M in funding and saw sales increase by threefold to $9M in 2020, becoming a potential billion-dollar company with a focus on healthier options.
24. Chandler Honey ($120K/year)
Tique Chandler, the founder of Chandler Honey, came up with the idea for her infused honey brand by leveraging her knowledge of beekeeping and her desire to make honey more exciting. She created interesting flavors and used bright branding to differentiate her product. In under two years, Chandler Honey is now in 150+ stores in Canada and continues to grow.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
Current team size: 1
Chandler Honey is a Canadian organic honey brand with unique flavors, founded by Tique Chandler. With only 2 years since incorporation, the brand is now in 150+ stores in Canada and brings in $10k revenue monthly.
25. Frag Out Flavor ($1.5M/year)
Patrick Flynn, founder and CEO of Frag Out Flavor, came up with the idea for his spice blends and BBQ rubs after returning home from a deployment to Afghanistan. His passion for great food and BBQ, combined with his desire to reconnect with the veteran community, led him to create a lineup of high-quality blends that have been loved by family and friends. With a strong focus on customer loyalty and giving back to the veteran community, Frag Out Flavor has grown to generate around $125K/month in revenue.
How much they make: $1.5M/year
Current team size: 1
Frag Out Flavor, a veteran-owned spice blend and BBQ rub company, generates around $125k/month and is backed by a loyal customer base while also giving back to the veteran community through various initiatives.
26. Jaju Pierogi ($960K/year)
Jaju Pierogi, founded by sisters Casey and Vanessa White, started as a side project selling pierogi at farmers' markets and pop-up events. With a background in the corporate world and a love for their Polish heritage, they saw a gap in the market for high-quality, handmade pierogi. Fast forward to August 2022, Jaju Pierogi is now in multiple grocery chains and over 650 specialty independent stores, with a monthly revenue of $80,000-$100,000.
How much they make: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.5K
Current team size: 5
Jaju Pierogi started off as a side hustle at farmers' markets and festivals back in 2016, and as of August 2022, they are in multiple grocery chains and over 650 specialty independent stores with a monthly revenue hovering between $80,000-$100,000.
27. Urban Smokehouse ($1.5M/year)
Andrew Buehler, founder of Urban Smokehouse, came up with the idea for his business after noticing the growing market trend and opportunity for online delivery of perishable items during the COVID-19 lockdown. As a foodie with a background in financial services, Buehler saw the rising demand for BBQ, a food that tastes great but is often inconvenient to make, and decided to create a digitally native BBQ brand that offers pre-cooked and sauced ribs that can be easily prepared at home in under 20 minutes. He launched Urban Smokehouse as a Kickstarter project and quickly surpassed his goal, raising over $30,000 in pre-orders.
How much they make: $1.5M/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
Current team size: 5
Andrew Buehler launched Urban Smokehouse, the world’s first digitally native BBQ brand, through a Summer Kickstarter campaign, raising over $30,000 in pre-orders; since then, the company has achieved monthly sales of over $5,000 split between their website and in-person pop-ups and events, relying heavily on word of mouth and organic social media.
28. Karachi Kitchen ($24K/year)
Sadaf, the co-founder and designer behind Karachi Kitchen Foods, started the business with her mother, a long-time chef and culinary instructor. They launched their business after collaborating on a self-published cookbook, which won a Gourmand Award. Despite facing setbacks due to Covid and learning about federal and state regulations, they have seen sales more than double since launching their online store.
How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 0
Karachi Kitchen Foods saw over 200% growth in sales in the past year, offering seven different chutneys and spices, and plans to launch an online subscription box and publish recipes on their website in coming months.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
