PODCAST: From Food Truck to Meat Alternative Pioneer, with RollinGreens' Lindsey Cunningham

How do you go from a humble food truck to a powerhouse in the world of plant-based meat alternatives?

In this episode, Alan and Darcy are joined by Lindsey Cunningham, the Co-Founder and CEO of RollinGreens. Lindsey shares insights into their innovative launches and how they created products that have moved away from the frozen aisle and are connecting meat alternative shoppers with shelf-stable options.

Join us as we discuss:

• How to execute successful grassroots, guerrilla marketing
• Navigating vital product pivots
• The effects RollinGreens saw from their appearance on Shark Tank

Find us on Spotify, Apple, and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts, or click the player below to hear this episode now!

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Announcer: You're listening to CPG Launch Leaders, the show where we interview new product trailblazers. You're ready for inspiration and secrets from the front lines of CPG innovation. Now, here are our hosts, Darcy Ramler and Alan Peretz.

Allan: Welcome to CPG launch leaders. I'm Alan Peretz, and I'm here with my co-host, Darcy Ramler. Today, we're chatting with Lindsey Cunningham, an entrepreneur from Boulder, Colorado. Lindsey is the co-founder and CEO of RollinGreens, a plant-based national food company. They started off, believe it or not, as a food truck back in the 1980s. And now they're a sustainable, shelf-stable meat alternative.

Darcy: That's right, Alan. Lindsey will tell us all about how RollinGreens has innovated the meat alternative category while expanding into retailers. Let's get this thing started. Lindsey, we're beyond excited to have you. Before we dive in, we have a tradition here on Launch Leaders. We like to start each episode with one question. Currently, what new product has caught your attention in the marketplace? And it can be your own as well.

Lindsey: Hi, Darcy. And Alan. Thank you so much for having me today. I really appreciate it. Of course. Our new chicken chopped fajita. Phenomenal product. One of a kind. It really is the first of its kind. It's shelf-stable. It's a larger chunk. It's made from fermented shiitake mushroom, rice, and pea. It's a complete protein, which is very hard to come by with plant-based foods. And I actually have to grab the name. But there are also these cool flour crackers that are handmade there's like artisanal flour crackers. And I'll get them before the end of this, but they're beautiful. And I think they might just be local to Boulder, Colorado, but they're phenomenal for achieving. Their charcuterie board is for entertaining. It's a great little cracker.

Darcy: They sound like they taste good and look good as well.

Lindsey: 100%. They're a good combo.

Allan: And Boulder is a pretty big center for food innovation, isn't that right? I mean, I've heard of a lot of companies starting up there.

Lindsey: It is. It's really this mecca for natural foods. We have a great community; we have great support with places like Naturally Boulder, who really support the foundation and founders to get out there and connect with suppliers and vendors and take your idea from an idea to executing in thousands of stores nationally.

Allan: So we're delighted to have you on the show. Can you give us a quick overview of the history of the company?

Lindsey: So, RollinGreens actually started back in 1980 as Boulder, Colorado's first organic food truck. So, it was my husband's family's food truck. We're a husband and wife team. And fast forward to 30 years later. He didn't know about his family legacy because, at the time, his parents had three kids, were pregnant with him, stopped the food truck, and went on to do other careers. In 2011, we wanted to start our food truck, not even knowing about the family legacy. So it was really serendipitous. We took back the name RollinGreens. We became a farmers market staple, and people would line around the corner for hours waiting on Chef Ko’s food. And that's when we knew we had the secret sauce.

Darcy: That's amazing. I love that you guys, first of all, are a husband and wife duo, I think. Talk about the definition of a power couple. Hello. But really kind of I want to dig into that defining moment. When you decided to go from a food truck and be able to take it to market, how did you determine what product to start with?

Lindsey: It was hard because we had a lot of top-selling items on our food truck. However, there were these little millet tots. They didn't exist in the marketplace, so they were, like, first of its kind, revolutionary. The only nonpotato, whole grain tot on the market. Vegan. We wanted to take millet and make it the star that Quinoa was. And Quinoa was getting all this grace for. We thought millet. I mean, it's such a nutrient-dense, underutilized crop and grain, all of that encompassed the reason to take this product to the market. And really, we wanted to feed the world healthy, tasty, affordable food. And the way to do that was going into retail. So we took our famous millet tots and brought them into the freezer sets.

Allan: So you went to Whole Foods first, if I'm not mistaken. Can you tell us a bit about that and some of the marketing that went around that?

Lindsey: Yeah, there were three local retailers we went to, but I have a very vivid memory of when we went to Whole Foods. But the three local retailers were lucky's. Alfalfa's Market and Whole Foods. And so I literally walked into Whole Foods Pearl Street. It's our biggest Whole Foods in Boulder, Colorado, with a Ziploc baggie that said Bake at 375 for 15 minutes and wanted to speak to a manager. And at that time, I happened to be so lucky to be able to talk to the manager. He gave me five minutes of that time. We only needed three before he said yes.

Darcy: Talk about a true innovation story. Walking in with a plastic baggie that says when to heat it, but I love it. I mean, it is a testament to just how great the product is. You walked in off of the street and had your first meeting, but what was a little more about the growth path with Whole Foods after that first product? I know you said you started Singularly with a store, and then how did you go about marketing and advertising during that time?

Lindsey: Oh man, it was all bootstrapping. It was guerrilla marketing at its finest. We were lucky that a lot of people in Boulder did know about our millet tots from the food truck. So, off the bat, they were successful at local retailers, and it really helped with Velocities. We demoed our hearts out. I mean, Chef Ko was in every store in Colorado. We were in for the first three and a half years demoing. I mean, we put something like 35,000 miles on our car in less than two years. It was like a year and a half. We were in 17 stores, then we were in 250 stores, then we were in 1000 stores. And ultimately, we got up to about 4,000 stores nationally with our Frozen product. And after the millet tot success, we did launch our Crispy Cauliflower wings as well. But then, through the pandemic, we pivoted completely out of Frozen and into our shelf-stable plant-based meat.

Allan: Great. What was that crispy Cauliflower launch like? Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Lindsey: You would think that Cauliflower would be something easy to put into the market, affordable or cost-effective and efficient. It was a nightmare. It was a pretty big nightmare to produce. The costs were rising. Frozen had its challenges. Being in the Frozen segment from distribution to storage to manufacturing to just the sheer cost of promoting a product in Frozen and really having those barriers like big freezer doors is a big barrier to entry on the consumer side as well. So, it had a lot of challenges.

Darcy: When you decided to go shelf stable. Obviously a huge pivot. Being that you've had success in the Frozen era, you've kind of penetrated a category. Feel like you're getting consumer insights. Can you talk a little bit more about when you made that transition? Was there any product testing? Was there anything that you looked at from the retail sell inside to say, hey, we actually know that our product will be successful, shelf-stable as a.

Lindsey: It's a small company with a very limited bandwidth and a smaller team, which we are very a mighty team as well, but we're small. We don't pay for tremendous amounts of data or anything of that nature, but what we listen to is our consumers. And it really was a really difficult decision, I mean, like the gut-wrenching decision to move from our Frozen products into a different category. And it was a huge pivot for us. I mean, we had everything on the line, but it was the best decision we ever made. We've been sitting on the shelf-stable, plant-based innovation since 2019, and we didn't ultimately bring it to market until the pandemic until about 2021. And what we decided to do was a little bit different approach than we did originally with Frozen. With our Frozen products, we went straight to retail. With our shelf-stable products, we went straight to direct to consumer, and we said, let's get the consumer feedback. Let's see how people like this. I mean, 97% of consumers give our products five out of five stars. And our ground taco is our number one selling Stew. And that was the first to hit the market, and people went crazy for it. So that's when we knew about a year and a half after launch and direct to consumer, this is ready for retail.

Allan: So, Lindsey, you talked about the voice of the consumer. Ah, a little bit. Where does that come from? Mostly, you talked about ratings and reviews. Are you getting a lot of emails? Do you have a lot of face-to-face conversations in stores? How does that play out for you?

Lindsey: A combination of all of the above. And we are regulars also on QVC. So we do get that instant consumer feedback, both on air and know a lot of our retailer partners are very heavy on reviews, so we listen to every single one of them.

Darcy: So, given that and kind of taking in the consumer insights, I know you mentioned D to C, and I know you mentioned QVC. What is your value prop, considering most meat alternatives live in the Frozen section? Correct. What is your merchandising strategy? How do you get the consumer to locate your product? And it makes it quite unique.

Lindsey: Yeah, so we had the goal, and which we've done is launch with four core SKUs. They all sit in traditional Mexican, which is very different from m anything on the market. 99% of plant-based foods are sitting in refrigerated or frozen. Shelf Stable already is a new segment of the plant-based category. And we've decided to hone in on traditional Mexican and create a one-stop shop destination. I mean, this is a category that's notorious for lack of innovation. And here we are, innovating in a massive way, giving the consumer convenience and value for the buyer as well, and bringing a higher basket than what's normally sitting in their category.

Allan: So, talk to us a bit more about that shelf decision. Appearing in the Mexican section. Is the product only for Mexican recipes, or can it be used for other types of recipes? And if the latter, why did you decide to put it there?

Lindsey: There are a few reasons. I mean, one, the traditional Mexican category being $115,000,000,000 category and rapidly growing.

Allan: Wow.

Lindsey: So it's a massive category, and there's not a ton of offerings. And so we have lots more innovation that doesn't sit in traditional Mexican, but you have to get that consumer base before you can do anything else. One of our advisors and mentors said it best, and we have to keep that focus and get the consumer base. So we said instead of going into every single store and being, hey, we're in a meat alternative set, we're in Mexican here, we're all over the map. Consumers don't know where to find us because they ultimately shop at multiple stores. They're not just going into Whole Foods every time they're shopping at a combination of a Walmart, a Target, and a Whole Foods. And so we want them to know where we are in every single store that they walk into.

Darcy: It's like you were sitting in my house last night when my husband came home from he went to Vaughn's; he went to Sprouts. He was doing the weekly before the coupons expired. This is where he was going to all of his different shopping places. And you are right. I mean, traditionally speaking, one meal usually a week in our house is Mexican cuisine. We have Italian a couple of times a week. So, given kind of you've started, obviously with Mexican cuisine, not to give too much about go-to-market strategy or innovation. Is the thought process a little bit more around where you'll continue to evolve and take over more categories as cuisine-oriented?

Lindsey: Yeah. And I want to preference, too, by saying that we're not in every single Mexican category because it just doesn't work out that perfectly. But the majority of stores we are in are there. And really, our focus is filling these gaps in ethnic categories. So that's not just limited to Mexican. There's much more coming down the pipeline. But at the end of the day, too, it's about convenience, it's about taste. It's on the go. Everyone is leading a busy life. They want to have something that's trusted, high protein, tasty, and ready in minutes. And that's what we solve and give to our consumers.

Darcy: You appeared on Shark Tank in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. How was that experience for you?

Lindsey: Well, number one, having our airing during the height of the pandemic is phenomenal for us. I mean, it had one of the highest viewerships at like 5.5 million or something of that nature. So it was a great time to air. Everybody was in front of their TVs at the time. We went in there really wanting to make a deal and better our business and move our business forward. We wanted a deal with an expert partner. And so it was incredible. And the amount of sales, I mean, we more than tripled our sales that year. The following year, we did more than we did in three years combined of revenue. So, it's a phenomenal platform for entrepreneurs to spread the word about their business.

AD: Mike: Hi, Jesse. What brings you to the airport?

AD: Jesse: Mike? I'm off to the headquarters to share an update on the big launch.

AD: Mike: Oh, I've heard it's selling really well. Care to share your secret?

AD: Jesse: Well, just between us, it's all thanks to Bold Labs. Their exclusive digital test market research allows you to optimize your product marketing and pricing before the big launch.

AD: Mike: That sounds fantastic. How can I learn more?

AD: Jesse: Just visit www.boldlabs.com. It's all right there. This is the final call for Flight 723 to Chicago.

AD: Mike: Looks like we'd better go. Thanks for the tip, Jesse.

AD: Jesse: See you soon, Mike. And remember, Bold Labs is ready to help your product. Soar.

Allan: So we know there's a lot of lessons to be learned in success, but even more, sometimes in failures, especially with launches. Can you tell us about one of the launches that might not have gone as you expected and what you learned from it?

Lindsey: I would say we've never launched a product or a product line that isn't, I mean, besides the Millet Tots and Cauliflower wings that we ultimately discontinued, but they were in the market for six years before that. So we've never taken a product to market and then discontinued it right away, or it's had a failed launch. Getting to market is maybe a different situation. I mean, there's failure after failure with product development and ideas, and ideas are only as good as what you execute on. And every day, we come up with 30 different ideas, but we know when it's a good one or not, and then we take it to the next level. So, I think Chef Ko would say product development is mathematical cooking, and it's failure after failure after failure. And so the fact that he can get up every day and continue to do this and build incredible products is a phenomenal testament. I mean, he turns a formula into gold.

Darcy: Obviously, we heard about the very first launch walking into Whole Foods with the plastic bag. What would you say is a little bit different and how you're approaching things compared to that first launch, compared to now, the second, the third, and so on? And some of those insights that you have yourself about taking products to market.

Lindsey: Oh, yes. There's so much that we did differently in bringing our shelf-stable products to market than we did originally. You don't know what you don't know. And originally, we didn't have capital. We didn't have distribution. We didn't have a team. We didn't have any of the things that we have today. So we've invested in great talent. We make sure that we have enough capital. We brought in the right structure and the right people to come in and say, what do we want to get out of this, how do we get there, and how much capital do we need? In the beginning, we didn't know we wanted to ultimately sell. We didn't want to sell. We wanted to pass this down to our kids and have a generational food truck and CPG line that's changed over the years. That approach is much different than selling in the next three years and building it into a 100 million, 100-million-dollar company. Both require a ton of capital, but very different capital requirements. We did a lot of things differently, but the same thing at the core was feeding the world healthy, affordable, tasty food and building a relationship with whether it's your buyer, an investor, your team members, whoever it is, you're constantly selling your story and your mission, and you have to remember that. And it's all about relationships in this business, and that's what kind of led us to have a better, it's not easier because we had all different buyers, but just a better smoother process selling into retailers because we had these relationships.

Darcy: Not to give away any too big of secrets, but can you pull back the curtain a little bit on what you are currently working on these days and maybe what to expect in the next six months or so?

Lindsey: Well, going back to our conversation around different ethnic categories of Asian-styled SKUs, there are not a lot of options out there, and we have filled a gap. So that could potentially be something that we'll be launching in the next six months to a year. Other convenient on-the-go items that all taste incredible have clean ingredients, no soy, no dairy, no gluten. We have a lot of parameters that we hold to our standards, and it's for our consumers and what our consumers want.

Darcy: What I love about your products is you're also breaking a lot of people, and I can say this: my sister-in-law, who I'm very close to, is a vegan, and she loves Mexican food. But the alternatives sometimes can't. There are a lot of limits to what you can and cannot have. And like you said, whether you like some of the traditional flavoring of fajitas and so forth, being able to create that similar experience for people is not only is it amazing, but it's so rewarding, too, right? Sometimes, it's a choice, and sometimes, for health reasons or different things that are also happening, the choice is made for you. So it's not necessarily that everybody wants to give up their favorite foods or their favorite cuisines. So I love that you've started in certain sectors, and we'll continue to.

Lindsey: Move that you don't want to sacrifice on taste, and nor should you ever have to. And so that's the great thing about our products is, you don't have to sacrifice on taste. You don't have to sacrifice heavy wheat or soy or unnecessary binders or fillers. You can feel good about eating our products. And I will say we are building products and creating products for a flexitarian market, right? Maybe not somebody who strictly has dietary restrictions on gluten-free and vegan. That's a must. That's a given. We're creating products for a much larger segment of people, which 22% of consumers identify as flexitarians. And one-third of consumers are wanting to give up meat altogether. So it's a much larger demographic that we are going after than just a vegan or a vegetarian.

Allan: Yeah. So, Lindsey, I live in a household with two people, with Celiac, my wife and my son. And we end up getting a lot of plant-based food as a result of some of the ways that those products are made. It makes me feel good largely because of the sustainability, the water, and land usage. Is that normal? Are a lot of people doing that for those reasons? Or is it mostly for health reasons?

Lindsey: I think it's a combination. I think it's everything. I feel like we need to take a little pressure off our planet, and I think this is a better way to do that. And I'm not sitting here saying give up meat altogether because I'm not. I'm a flexitarian. I have an 80-20 rule. I do eat some meat, but mostly, my diet is made up of plant-based and vegetarian items. But I do think that even if you gave up one meal a week, right, like we were saying, Darcy Taco Tuesday. Take a Taco Tuesday and eat our products. Or a Meatless Monday or whatever the day might be, one meal a week could help not only for the environment but for your body as well. And you go to doctor's offices now, and people are know, the doctors are saying, give up your red meat or limit your red meat. Your blood pressure is high, all the things that come along with eating meat. But ultimately, you don't have to give it up altogether. Just have more of that balance.

Darcy: And I think one of the most compelling parts about your brand is that your husband is a chef, right? So, firsthand, one of the founders is in the innovation. Chefs are meticulous, I'm sure, as you know, probably living with one in that process. I mean, talking about just kind of how innovation starts. Is he just constantly cooking and refining? It is a constant process of where he's headed next.

Lindsey: Yes, and thank you for saying that because a huge part of this is chef-crafted, chef-led. And that is really a huge differentiator that's the secret sauce behind our company because it's not created in the lab. It's not by food scientists. This is a real chef creating real food. And, yes, we are foodies, too. So all we do is think about food, talk about food, and eat food. That's what we do. Always constantly innovating together. We do a lot of it together as well, which is fun. So even in our spare time, we're thinking of new products, we're thinking of new dishes, and really wanting to inspire others to do the same.

Darcy: Well, I think that's the beauty of starting with a food truck. How can you get better consumer insights than actually having firsthand a food truck where people are lining up around the corner? You talk about grassroots and getting started for a product; there's no better consumer insight than being in the day-to-day working, hearing the feedback, and then just continuing to leverage it.

Lindsey: Yeah.

Darcy: Obviously, bring it to a lot broader consumer with being able to go to retail.

Lindsey: Well, exactly. And this is having a chef in your pantry. Like Brian always said, it's like having a little Chef Ko in your pantry. It is. Because you get Chef Ko to cook for you, essentially, with this product. And everybody wants a Chef. Once you have his food, you'll never go back. You understand what we're talking about. And so he can't physically be there cooking for every consumer. This is his way of doing that.

Darcy: I think the beauty of your product, as you said, is cooking is intimidating to a lot of people as is. But then trying to take that and then leverage into a new category where you're going meatless, or you're going to try it once a week, you can't have a better option than, like you said, chef-prepared it's there in front of you. Hopefully, then you're feeling like your failure rate can be a lot slimmer at the end of the day. So not only are you making it effective and efficient as a mom of two, but it is easier if I could just run in, grab something, throw it in that is shelf stable. To your point, always having that alternative at hand, you are solving a huge barrier that exists right now, especially when it comes to the protein market.

Lindsey: Thank you. Yes. That's a great way to say it.

Darcy: Well, Lindsey, I want to say thank you so much for sharing your story. Not only did you enter a space, but now you're pioneering a shelf-stable space where you're just setting the bar for what is to come. Truly, it is stories like yours and your husband's that remind us to keep innovating, stay inspired, and let's all continue to redefine the world of CPG innovation. Thank you.

Allan: Thanks, Lindsey.

Lindsey: Thank you guys so much for having me. Have a wonderful day.

Darcy: Absolutely.

Allan: You, too.

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