Three food enterprises and a private equity firm in the United States have come together to launch a new plant-based protein brand nationally in both retail stores and virtual restaurants. Developed in Detroit by former Garden Fresh Gourmet partners (who sold the business to Campbell’s Soup Co. for $231 million), Skinny Butcher invited Los Angeles-based Golden West Food Group to exclusively manufacture the frozen product line, become equity stakeholders and serve as the vendor of record, ensuring speed to market.
Wow Bao, originated by Chicago-headquartered Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE), created a virtual kitchen concept for the Skinny Butcher. LEYE-renowned chefs created the Crazy Crispy Chick’n menu that includes Chick’n Parm, Jumbo Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Caesar Salad, Teriyaki Chick’n, sandwiches and sliders.
Wow Bao is a virtual restaurant operator that has opened more than 650 units throughout America and has already begun onboarding Skinny Butcher onto its established platform. It has partnered with REEF Kitchens to launch Crazy Crispy Chick’n across the country via third-party delivery.
The company has a longstanding relationship with Valor Equity Partners, an operational growth equity firm. Valor Siren Ventures, Valor’s early stage food, food technology, retail and retail technology investment fund, made a $10 million investment in Skinny Butcher.
“Our mission is to go to market with a line that wins on branding and on flavor profile. No other plant-based program possesses the brand personality of Skinny Butcher,” said Dave Zilko, chief executive officer of Skinny Butcher and former vice chairman of Garden Fresh Gourmet.
Skinny Butcher is importing a progressive vegetable fiber strain, employing pea protein, and adding to it a proprietary spice blend that results in products promoted as being “virtually indistinguishable from animal-based comparables.”
“We have always been a food first company, and Dave Zilko and his team have created an unparalleled product that we are proud to represent on a national scale. While other plant-based chick’n companies have nuggets, we have a full line of menu items that will please any and all eaters,” said Wow Bao President and CEO Geoff Alexander.
Zilko remarked: “We’ve assembled an amazing collection of thought leaders from across the country. Skinny Butcher offers instantly iconic branding at retail and an industry leading flavor format with a virtual restaurant program and the resources to scale nationally.”
