This founder's family history of cancer inspired her to start a vegan food brand serving up cheesy sauces that are free from dairy (and nuts).
From oat milk to mushroom jerky and everything in between, the plant-based space is sprouting with innovation. It seems nothing is off limits! Even cheese is getting plantified, with brands turning nuts and seeds into slices, spreads and sauces. But what about a cheese that is free from both dairy AND nuts? That was the question Dianna King asked herself when starting Eat UNrestricted, a brand committed to offering plant-based and planet-forward products.
UNrestricted’s line of “cheese” dips/sauces (the Garlic Better Cheddar is everything) is made with a blend of carrots potatoes, and is free from preservatives and artificial colors. All flavors (currently three: Original, Garlic, Chipotle) are naturally soy and gluten free, and unlike other plant-based cheeses on the market, nut/cashew free!
Dianna spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for UNrestricted, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, plus gives us the deets on all her current foodie faves.
Before starting Eat UNrestricted, what were you up to?
I am an electrical engineer by trade and a Georgia Tech Grad. Prior to starting Eat UNrestricted, I was working as an electrical engineer at a consulting firm. However, I have always been an entrepreneur and foodie. I remember founding the first physics class at my community college during my time as a high school and college student simultaneously through the dual enrollment program offered by my local college. My parents were also leaders and showcased it daily as entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
I became more interested in entrepreneurship in 2016. I transitioned into a vegan diet after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His progression slowed after incorporating more plant based meals into his diet. However, he passed away the following year. The experience made me more conscious of the importance of a diet to my overall short and long term health. Especially after reading articles citing that veganism could reduce progression, and in rare cases even cure cancer, and hearing from doctors who treated him about the importance of a healthy diet.
I have a family history of cancer and it has inspired me to make the change to a vegan diet during June of 2016. However, plant based foods were not accessible and popular during that time. I couldn’t help but feel that if plant based foods were more accessible in my community, it could have potentially saved my father and many more people in a similar situation.
I promised myself that I would start a plant based food business after graduation.
Shortly after hosting community dinners in 2016 to address the needs of people just like myself that were health conscious and have dietary restrictions/food allergies. I received a lot of compliments on the mac and cheese I would make and was told by many that cheese and dairy is a really hard alternative to find due to not finding one that could satisfy their cravings via taste, looks, and convenience.
I worked on perfecting the recipe for 2 years and met Eric Thompson who became a co-founder and helped me continue the perfection process for the recipe for about a year since he could still eat dairy and had a more familiar taste of cheese.
Retail relationships: do you sell mostly DTC? What retailers do you work with?
We love working with small independent retailers. We are currently working with Nuts’ N Berries in ATL, V Marks the Shop in Philadelphia, and Orchard Grocer and Rivedel in NYC. These stores have great local buy-in and interaction with their regulars and are awesome ambassadors for Eat UNrestricted to their communities. We also do a lot of online sales as well as farmers markets. Farmers markets are particularly great channels for us as we get to interact directly with our customers.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration?
Miriam’s Mediterranean. Our good friend on the West Coast and founder of Miriam’s Garlic Goodness (a fellow Foodboro member!). She's built her company as a lone women founder and is thriving in her growth despite all the hurdles that comes with being a women founder in a male dominated industry.
What sets you apart from other plant-based products or snacks?
Plant based foods, including cheeses, have rapidly grown in popularity the last 5 years. However, there are still a limited amount of choices available for consumers looking for plant based options that are allergen friendly, clean label, eco-friendly, and delicious. In fact, allergy restrictions from dairy to soy and nut allergies are only becoming more commonplace in households, whether they are plant based or not. This presents a major barrier to families and friends looking to shop for/cook and/or eat together at home or at restaurants, as catering to diverse dietary restrictions is a major pain point. Our competitors haven't achieved close to our level of replication of the taste of cheddar while adhering to the strict dietary restrictions that we ensure our Better Cheddar does. Our product is quality and inclusive. Everyone can and does enjoy it. That is why we are successful, even at an early stage currently. We want to scale our success so more people can solve this major pain point.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
Boundaries and self care. Understanding that this startup thing is a marathon, not a race, forces me to structure my strategies around longevity, consistency and persistence instead of just speed. I can schedule breaks and take on additional challenges when I’m ready while avoiding the dreaded burnout phase.
It's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
While it's true to start before you are ready, HAVE A PLAN. Even if that strategy is destined to change or be pivoted, it's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?
UNrestricted’s garlic cheese, hash browns, olive oil. The perfect meal!
What does the future of UNrestricted look like? What are you currently working on?
We are about to drop completely new branding in May so look out for that. We’ve been working on this new look for a while so we are pretty excited to show it to our customers! Building around this new brand, we really hope to reach many new customers as well and scale our ecommerce business. If our mission is about making the dinner table more inclusive, we want to dramatically increase our reach for customers and those goals would help towards that. Additionally, we would like to have consistent shelf presence in popular independent retailers in every major metropolitan area in the country.
From oat milk to mushroom jerky and everything in between, the plant-based space is sprouting with innovation. It seems nothing is off limits! Even cheese is getting plantified, with brands turning nuts and seeds into slices, spreads and sauces. But what about a cheese that is free from both dairy AND nuts? That was the question Dianna King asked herself when starting Eat UNrestricted, a brand committed to offering plant-based and planet-forward products.
UNrestricted’s line of “cheese” dips/sauces (the Garlic Better Cheddar is everything) is made with a blend of carrots potatoes, and is free from preservatives and artificial colors. All flavors (currently three: Original, Garlic, Chipotle) are naturally soy and gluten free, and unlike other plant-based cheeses on the market, nut/cashew free!
Dianna spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for UNrestricted, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, plus gives us the deets on all her current foodie faves.
Before starting Eat UNrestricted, what were you up to?
I am an electrical engineer by trade and a Georgia Tech Grad. Prior to starting Eat UNrestricted, I was working as an electrical engineer at a consulting firm. However, I have always been an entrepreneur and foodie. I remember founding the first physics class at my community college during my time as a high school and college student simultaneously through the dual enrollment program offered by my local college. My parents were also leaders and showcased it daily as entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
I became more interested in entrepreneurship in 2016. I transitioned into a vegan diet after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His progression slowed after incorporating more plant based meals into his diet. However, he passed away the following year. The experience made me more conscious of the importance of a diet to my overall short and long term health. Especially after reading articles citing that veganism could reduce progression, and in rare cases even cure cancer, and hearing from doctors who treated him about the importance of a healthy diet.
I have a family history of cancer and it has inspired me to make the change to a vegan diet during June of 2016. However, plant based foods were not accessible and popular during that time. I couldn’t help but feel that if plant based foods were more accessible in my community, it could have potentially saved my father and many more people in a similar situation.
I promised myself that I would start a plant based food business after graduation.
Shortly after hosting community dinners in 2016 to address the needs of people just like myself that were health conscious and have dietary restrictions/food allergies. I received a lot of compliments on the mac and cheese I would make and was told by many that cheese and dairy is a really hard alternative to find due to not finding one that could satisfy their cravings via taste, looks, and convenience.
I worked on perfecting the recipe for 2 years and met Eric Thompson who became a co-founder and helped me continue the perfection process for the recipe for about a year since he could still eat dairy and had a more familiar taste of cheese.
Retail relationships: do you sell mostly DTC? What retailers do you work with?
We love working with small independent retailers. We are currently working with Nuts’ N Berries in ATL, V Marks the Shop in Philadelphia, and Orchard Grocer and Rivedel in NYC. These stores have great local buy-in and interaction with their regulars and are awesome ambassadors for Eat UNrestricted to their communities. We also do a lot of online sales as well as farmers markets. Farmers markets are particularly great channels for us as we get to interact directly with our customers.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration?
Miriam’s Mediterranean. Our good friend on the West Coast and founder of Miriam’s Garlic Goodness (a fellow Foodboro member!). She's built her company as a lone women founder and is thriving in her growth despite all the hurdles that comes with being a women founder in a male dominated industry.
What sets you apart from other plant-based products or snacks?
Plant based foods, including cheeses, have rapidly grown in popularity the last 5 years. However, there are still a limited amount of choices available for consumers looking for plant based options that are allergen friendly, clean label, eco-friendly, and delicious. In fact, allergy restrictions from dairy to soy and nut allergies are only becoming more commonplace in households, whether they are plant based or not. This presents a major barrier to families and friends looking to shop for/cook and/or eat together at home or at restaurants, as catering to diverse dietary restrictions is a major pain point. Our competitors haven't achieved close to our level of replication of the taste of cheddar while adhering to the strict dietary restrictions that we ensure our Better Cheddar does. Our product is quality and inclusive. Everyone can and does enjoy it. That is why we are successful, even at an early stage currently. We want to scale our success so more people can solve this major pain point.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
Boundaries and self care. Understanding that this startup thing is a marathon, not a race, forces me to structure my strategies around longevity, consistency and persistence instead of just speed. I can schedule breaks and take on additional challenges when I’m ready while avoiding the dreaded burnout phase.
It's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
While it's true to start before you are ready, HAVE A PLAN. Even if that strategy is destined to change or be pivoted, it's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?
UNrestricted’s garlic cheese, hash browns, olive oil. The perfect meal!
What does the future of UNrestricted look like? What are you currently working on?
We are about to drop completely new branding in May so look out for that. We’ve been working on this new look for a while so we are pretty excited to show it to our customers! Building around this new brand, we really hope to reach many new customers as well and scale our ecommerce business. If our mission is about making the dinner table more inclusive, we want to dramatically increase our reach for customers and those goals would help towards that. Additionally, we would like to have consistent shelf presence in popular independent retailers in every major metropolitan area in the country.
From oat milk to mushroom jerky and everything in between, the plant-based space is sprouting with innovation. It seems nothing is off limits! Even cheese is getting plantified, with brands turning nuts and seeds into slices, spreads and sauces. But what about a cheese that is free from both dairy AND nuts? That was the question Dianna King asked herself when starting Eat UNrestricted, a brand committed to offering plant-based and planet-forward products.
UNrestricted’s line of “cheese” dips/sauces (the Garlic Better Cheddar is everything) is made with a blend of carrots potatoes, and is free from preservatives and artificial colors. All flavors (currently three: Original, Garlic, Chipotle) are naturally soy and gluten free, and unlike other plant-based cheeses on the market, nut/cashew free!
Dianna spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for UNrestricted, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, plus gives us the deets on all her current foodie faves.
Before starting Eat UNrestricted, what were you up to?
I am an electrical engineer by trade and a Georgia Tech Grad. Prior to starting Eat UNrestricted, I was working as an electrical engineer at a consulting firm. However, I have always been an entrepreneur and foodie. I remember founding the first physics class at my community college during my time as a high school and college student simultaneously through the dual enrollment program offered by my local college. My parents were also leaders and showcased it daily as entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
I became more interested in entrepreneurship in 2016. I transitioned into a vegan diet after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His progression slowed after incorporating more plant based meals into his diet. However, he passed away the following year. The experience made me more conscious of the importance of a diet to my overall short and long term health. Especially after reading articles citing that veganism could reduce progression, and in rare cases even cure cancer, and hearing from doctors who treated him about the importance of a healthy diet.
I have a family history of cancer and it has inspired me to make the change to a vegan diet during June of 2016. However, plant based foods were not accessible and popular during that time. I couldn’t help but feel that if plant based foods were more accessible in my community, it could have potentially saved my father and many more people in a similar situation.
I promised myself that I would start a plant based food business after graduation.
Shortly after hosting community dinners in 2016 to address the needs of people just like myself that were health conscious and have dietary restrictions/food allergies. I received a lot of compliments on the mac and cheese I would make and was told by many that cheese and dairy is a really hard alternative to find due to not finding one that could satisfy their cravings via taste, looks, and convenience.
I worked on perfecting the recipe for 2 years and met Eric Thompson who became a co-founder and helped me continue the perfection process for the recipe for about a year since he could still eat dairy and had a more familiar taste of cheese.
Retail relationships: do you sell mostly DTC? What retailers do you work with?
We love working with small independent retailers. We are currently working with Nuts’ N Berries in ATL, V Marks the Shop in Philadelphia, and Orchard Grocer and Rivedel in NYC. These stores have great local buy-in and interaction with their regulars and are awesome ambassadors for Eat UNrestricted to their communities. We also do a lot of online sales as well as farmers markets. Farmers markets are particularly great channels for us as we get to interact directly with our customers.
Who in the industry do you turn to for inspiration?
Miriam’s Mediterranean. Our good friend on the West Coast and founder of Miriam’s Garlic Goodness (a fellow Foodboro member!). She's built her company as a lone women founder and is thriving in her growth despite all the hurdles that comes with being a women founder in a male dominated industry.
What sets you apart from other plant-based products or snacks?
Plant based foods, including cheeses, have rapidly grown in popularity the last 5 years. However, there are still a limited amount of choices available for consumers looking for plant based options that are allergen friendly, clean label, eco-friendly, and delicious. In fact, allergy restrictions from dairy to soy and nut allergies are only becoming more commonplace in households, whether they are plant based or not. This presents a major barrier to families and friends looking to shop for/cook and/or eat together at home or at restaurants, as catering to diverse dietary restrictions is a major pain point. Our competitors haven't achieved close to our level of replication of the taste of cheddar while adhering to the strict dietary restrictions that we ensure our Better Cheddar does. Our product is quality and inclusive. Everyone can and does enjoy it. That is why we are successful, even at an early stage currently. We want to scale our success so more people can solve this major pain point.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
Boundaries and self care. Understanding that this startup thing is a marathon, not a race, forces me to structure my strategies around longevity, consistency and persistence instead of just speed. I can schedule breaks and take on additional challenges when I’m ready while avoiding the dreaded burnout phase.
It's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What advice do you have for early-stage entrepreneurs?
While it's true to start before you are ready, HAVE A PLAN. Even if that strategy is destined to change or be pivoted, it's always beneficial to have some internal direction of where you want to be and when. How you get to that point can be flexible.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?
UNrestricted’s garlic cheese, hash browns, olive oil. The perfect meal!
What does the future of UNrestricted look like? What are you currently working on?
We are about to drop completely new branding in May so look out for that. We’ve been working on this new look for a while so we are pretty excited to show it to our customers! Building around this new brand, we really hope to reach many new customers as well and scale our ecommerce business. If our mission is about making the dinner table more inclusive, we want to dramatically increase our reach for customers and those goals would help towards that. Additionally, we would like to have consistent shelf presence in popular independent retailers in every major metropolitan area in the country.
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