Founder Feature: Edouardo Jordan of The Food with Roots

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0:55I never tried to put a face to the brand as we're Eduardo Jordan-like owned. I really want Food with Roots to stand out on its own, to be on the shelves and people recognize it as a quality brand that is producing amazing product. Rather, it's our pimento cheese, our southern cornbread mixes. I want it to stick out that way. Hey everybody, this is Caitlin Bricker, Managing Editor at Startup CPG. We are back with another founder feature. Today I'm sitting down with Eduardo Jordan, founder of Food with Roots. Food with Roots is an ethnic food brand celebrating black food through products like their award-winning pimento cheese.

1:37Eduardo is a two-time James Beard award-winning chef who's made the leap from owning restaurants to the CPG world. We're diving into his culinary journey from St. Petersburg, Florida to working at the French Laundry, why he put chitlins on his restaurant menu as a conversation starter, and how he's using food to share soulful stories of his ancestors. Eduardo is on a mission to bring diversity to grocery aisles and change people's minds about pimento cheese one tub at a time. As always, enjoy. Hey everybody, welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast. This is Caitlin and today I'm here with Eduardo Jordan, founder of Food With Roots.

2:15Eduardo, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. It's so good to have you here. I'm sure there are people listening who unfortunately have not had an opportunity to taste your products yet. So before we dive into it, can you just tell our listeners what Food With Roots is? Yeah, we're Food With Roots. We're an ethnic food brand based in Seattle, Washington, and we're celebrating the Black food waste through our foods. I love it. It is so good. I don't recall a time where I had had pimento cheese before, but when I had yours, I was like, okay, I need this in my life forever now. This is the best.

2:54So tell me, how did you get into producing your products? Yeah. So, you know, a James Beard Award winning chef. I owned a few restaurants and the pimento cheese was one of the staples at my restaurant. And during the pandemic, people were like, how do we continue getting your product while you guys are closed? So, you know, the light bulb came on and we started packaging the pimento cheese up and a lot of the other staples that our consumer base were asking for. From there, we kind of got an opportunity to pitch to Whole Foods and a few of the local markets in the Seattle area. And we introduced our retail wholesale market just that easily during the pandemic.

3:40What's the start? I really love talking to chefs who do the whole restaurant to retail pipeline because I think it's so exciting and everyone always has a really great background to share. So how did you get into the food world? Tell us about your journey becoming a chef. The journey wasn't typical. I didn't have anyone in my family who, you know, ran restaurants or worked in restaurants. We had all kind of different careers from construction, et cetera, et cetera. But I love cooking. I love getting into the kitchen with my mom and my grandmother. And I think when I was in high school, I told my mom I was going to go to culinary school.

4:14She looked at me like I was crazy and said, boy, you're going to go to college, college. Like we didn't spend all this time getting you to go to culinary school. So I ended up going to the University of Florida, graduated with dual degrees, sports management. And then I also had a minor in nutrition. So I had a love for food. And then when I came back home and got my first job, I was working with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that were called at the time. baseball, I was just always pondering, what can I do with food? From there, I left that job to actually go to culinary school to my mom's dismay, but they enjoyed it.

4:49They supported me in everything. And I went to culinary school and this was in Florida, which is, I'm originally from St. Petersburg, Florida. And once I graduated with honors in culinary school and did all the great things, I was like, I have to get out of Florida to explore the food of this world. And I traveled at eight. I worked at some of the best and most amazing restaurants in the world, like the French Laundry, Per Se Restaurant in New York, Herb Farm Restaurant here in Washington. And from there, just blossomed into this amazing culinarian, into a cook, into a chef, and then an owner of restaurants.

5:24What is your specialty as a chef? I know there's pastry chefs, there are all types of chefs. What kind of category do you feel like you fall into? It's kind of hard. And this is one of the things that I did very well. I did not pigeonhole myself into one cuisine per se. I'm classically trained in French cuisine. I've worked in amazing Italian restaurants, but I'm a Southern boy by heart. And so my calling is always the foods of my ancestors, my grandmother, hence that's why the name Food with Roots was built and born. But I would say like, if I say anything, Southern food is my specialty. I love Southern food and bringing it to people's tables and sharing beautiful stories through the foods of my ancestors.

6:08What foods come to mind with you when you think back cooking in the kitchen with your mom and your grandmother? Well, off the bat, like collard greens, oxtail stews, the black-eyed peas stews, these long, slow cooking foods that we would just stick into a crock pot and go to church and then come back home and it's ready, you know, add in some rice and you got a full meal. It's just smelling up the entire house. Maybe even smelling up the whole neighborhood because we had people come and knocking on our door saying, what time is dinner? Because, you know, grandma and mom is just, they're doing their thing.

6:40So I was always inspired by food and feeding people and just how it nurtures and take care of folks. I love that. And you did say you're a James Beard award-winning chef. I need to say not once, but twice. Am I right? Two times, yes. You are right. So tell us about that. For anybody who's listening, what does it mean to be a James Beard Award-winning chef? Yeah, so, you know, the James Beard Award is recognized by your peers and different committee members who recognize outstanding members and outstanding culinarians in the field. And this can be from to the food, to the beverage industry, to scholars and writers.

7:18And I was recognized as the best new restaurant in America with June Baby Restaurant when I opened that restaurant, and then also best chef in the Pacific Northwest. And I think that's Oregon, Washington, and maybe Hawaii, I think. And so, yes, those were the two recognitions that I received. And it was an honor because, you know, people recognize my hard work, my dedication to the craft and to the industry. And it's just amazing accolade that not many people have. It's like the Oscars of the culinary arts. What did it feel like to be notified that you won this award? I mean, it was surreal because we're sitting in the audience in this massive auditorium in Chicago.

8:02And, you know, you're dressed to the T and black ties and all these goodies. And you get your name called up in front of the peers, in front of thousands and thousands of people on the internet also. And honestly, like, it didn't really click in until I got back home from Chicago. And I'm like, oh, man, I won two of these awards on the same night. And becoming the first African-American to take two awards home on one night, which is pretty darn amazing. What does it feel like for you being a Black founder and also being a Black business owner who won the James Beard Award, not once, but twice.

8:39I'm going to say it again because it's so huge. I'm not even in the culinary world, but as an outsider looking in, I'm like, this is such a crazy accomplishment. So tell us what that feels like to you. Yeah, I would say it's always been a tough road because I'm also now in an industry that doesn't have a lot of faces that look like me. And the same obstacles I faced going in the culinary world because I worked in some of the top tier restaurants in the world, not just in the U.S., but the world. We have very few folks, again, that, you know, share resemblance or the same struggles that I faced growing up in this country.

9:16And so to walk that path and build a thick skin and be an inspiration for others, like, you know, that has been probably the biggest accomplishment than anything is breaking these ceilings and breaking through the walls and showing people that we can do this and we can be successful. You know, same obstacles are now as I'm transitioning into the CPG world because this is a whole new world for me. It's a whole different door to open and people to network with and meet and build trust and a lot of samplings. I am curious from your founder's perspective, what does it feel like to have a brand and be a Black-owned brand?

9:55Is that something that you consciously decide that you want to, for lack of a better word, label yourself as when you enter the CPG space? Or is that something that you kind of like keep in the shadows or are you keeping it at the forefront? Well, I'm trying to balance it because that same obstacle again is what I faced when I was in the restaurant world. And I'm still in the restaurant world per se. I don't want people to think that we're singular or pigeonholed to one thing. I am a Black founder. Obviously, we can see that. We know that. But I am a culinarian. I'm a formulator. I can create, build all day long, which is probably like the biggest stop that I need to because I can just keep building SKUs all day long.

10:40But I never tried to put a face to the brand as we're Eduardo Jordan Black owned. I really want Food with Roots to stand out on its own, to be on the shelves and people recognize it as a quality brand that is producing amazing product. Rather, it's our pimento cheese, our southern cornbread mixes. I want it to stick out that way. And, you know, it's a balance act because we also need to stick out in a way that people like, let me grab this and see what it is. Is it a James Beard award winning chef? Great. It's a balance act. I've been curious because I see these certifications or labels on products for women owned businesses and minority owned businesses.

11:21And I've never asked the question before to a black founder. Is that something that you want to center for your brand or not? So it's great to hear your perspective on that because I do see where you're coming from, coming from the culinary world. And it's your identity is baked into these products, but that's not all it is. And maybe you're going to reach a wider audience if they don't know, or maybe you'll reach a wider audience if they do know. So it is an interesting balance that you're looking to strike. So thanks for sharing that insight with me. Thank you for asking. Of course. Of course.

11:54I do understand that you have a motto with Food With Roots. Can you tell us what your motto is and why you stick by it? Our motto is sharing soulful stories through food. I think we're facing so many issues in this country and in the world today. And I know the best way that I've been able to meet, greet, network is through food. Point blank. When I had the restaurants, people would come in, dine together. people next to each other in different tables start having conversations and even sharing food because food brings people together. And my goal with Food With Roots is to continue telling the stories of my ancestors through their foods, through our foods, and being able to put it on grocery shelves to bring diversity to the grocery aisles.

12:42Can you tell me a little bit about the stories of your ancestors that you might want to share with listeners? Yeah. So the story for me is my ancestors, and I speak largely from my grandmother and my grandfather, they didn't do a really good job of celebrating the foods that we grew up on. And I say that because they didn't talk about it. It was a lot of shame or uncomfort about the foods that we grew up on because a lot of this food was seen as poverty food. There was a movement in the last few years where, say for For instance, oxtails. Oxtails used to cost, you know, 79 cents a pound. And now oxtails are$9.99 a pound and more because of now how it's been kind of commercialized as the cool kids food.

13:30But this is the food that we grew up on that was just feeding our family. And these were offcuts. We ate a lot of offcuts. We ate a lot of simple things like pimento cheese sandwiches just to make a little meal and keep going. And so these were the untold stories that landed on our tables that allowed us to have other conversations about the day and the week and how we're doing. And it brought people together rather than us actually talking about the food. Now, my job now is to celebrate the foods that we grew up on and present them in different manners and hopefully more elevated manners that we can touch more tables and can have more conversations.

14:08I love it. I think I've said that so many times already. But I mean, it's hard for me not to say it. Talk to me about bringing your community together. You are a champion of community. And I understand that you had the soul of Seattle. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Yeah. So, you know, being in the industry, the restaurant industry, it is hard to connect with your peers. We're all working so hard. We're dedicated founders and chefs and owners. And what we do is have a hard time networking. And so about six years ago, I created the Soul of Seattle as initially a networking opportunity.

14:45I wanted to bring all the culinarians together in the Seattle area, minority owned, women owned, Black owned restaurants and shops, and have a opportunity for us to showcase our products, who we are and what we're doing. I used to challenge people in the Seattle area. I was like, name five black owned restaurants. And people had a hard time doing that. And I actually had a hard time doing it. And I was like, but there's so many of us. Why aren't we able to just like call each other names out in a heartbeat? If my restaurant is filled, then I should be able to send someone to boom, boom, boom, boom, boom in a heartbeat.

15:19And so I created So Seattle as a networking opportunity and it birthed into a nonprofit arm where we were able to start raising money for youth of color in the Seattle area throughout its creation, we've raised over a million dollars for various organizations. We support the restaurants and the businesses that are actually participating in these events. So we actually pay them to participate rather than them having a book fee to be a part of it. And then we raise money for various organizations that we believe in and that are doing amazing things for kids of color in the greater Seattle area. So it's been an amazing event, a lot of work, planning, but it touches a lot of people and a lot of souls.

16:04Sounds like an excellent model. I really like that you're paying them to be there rather than paying for the space. I think that says a lot. It's a great initiative and great incentive too. Thank you. And I take your challenge of naming a Black-owned business, and unfortunately, only one is coming to mind for me in the Boston area. I'm just going to shout them out. It's Nida, M-I-D-A. They have two locations that I know of, one in Newton, one in the South End, and it's Italian food. It is excellent. So good. The vibes are so high in there, too. I see you have a bunch of books behind you. Yes. Curious.

16:39Cookbooks? Cookbooks, tons of them. If I rotate my computer, it's just like, oh my gosh, too many. I mean, this isn't the back wall goes here to there. And then I also have more books over there. But I probably have, I don't know, two or three thousand cookbooks and, you know, various books throughout my little library here. I am a historian. I love history. I love food, various cultures. I'm always learning. I'm always digging in. And these are my reference books whenever I need inspiration to cook dinner at home or just come up with a menu for catering or whatever the case is. Here it is. Have you ever considered writing a cookbook yourself?

17:18Yes, I am definitely in the process, you know, pen to paper, going to do some presenting and we'll see what happens. You know who does an excellent job with their cookbooks and it's actually the only cookbook that I've ever read the stories before the recipe is in is Brian Terry. I really like his cookbooks. I've got a couple on my shelf. Oh, yes. Yes. Brian's a good friend. Yes. Really, really good. Absolutely. Any cookbook authors stand out in your mind as inspiration for you? The first name that comes to mind is Jessica Harris. I call her my elder, great friend. I think I have a couple of her books right behind me, but she does a really good job of presenting the southern foodways from the Caribbean islands to West Africa to the American South.

18:05And she's been a big inspiration for me over the years and getting to know her and being on her podcast and becoming good friends and having her over for dinner. And, you know, all of these things that I was like, I was fangirling over her, fanboying over her years ago. And then now we're buds. I can give her a call in a heartbeat. You know, she's talking to me about food or how I'm doing and checking in on my son and, you know, all the things. I love it. Oh, man. And how does it feel like being in the CPG community now? Do you feel like you've found other founder friends who you can commiserate with or connect with about what it's like being in the industry?

18:44Yeah, there's been so many people that I've connected with. And honestly, thanks to Startup CPG, it's like you guys have helped me open up that network because, you know, I kind of live in this little bubble over here in Seattle where there are quite a few startups and founders here. But the network outside of Seattle is just vast. And so, you know, going to Fancy Food, going now to I just returned from Expo West for some of the pre-events. And I didn't realize I knew so many people and so many people knew me. They like, you know, waving and stopping. How are you doing? What's the struggle? What's going on?

19:19What new stores are you in? And so it's been pretty amazing. And, you know, as a founder and as someone that's doing everything you possibly can and wearing all the hats, you kind of get overwhelmed and you think that you're doing this by yourself. And then you open up the door and have these conversations with other founders. It's like, oh, we are all experiencing this. We all are understanding. Now I can breathe a little bit. You know, this is how you've jumped over this hurdle. Understandably, this is what I need to do also. So it feels good to be able to network. And everyone's been amazing.

19:49I have two questions for you. One, you brought it up. What new stores are you in? What's retail looking like for you? Yeah, so our main retailer is Metropolitan Market here in the Pacific Northwest. We're in a little over 100 stores, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. We originally, as stated before, we started direct to consumers through the restaurant, then into a few of the markets. So we're doing farmers markets. We're doing different markets. We're into Northwest Grocers, which is a kind of an arm of many other grocers, independent grocers throughout the Pacific Northwest. And so now our whole goal is get in front of more buyers.

20:27We're trying to get into the California, Texas market, which are markets that are more familiar with our foods, pimento cheese in particular, and do these new introductions to get in front of some of the big anchor accounts that can get us moving. Okay, California, Texas, if you're listening, let's go. And my second question for you is, I saw your sweatshirt. Yes. You are always wearing something that says chitlins on it. Tell us what this is all about. Yes, so the story behind chitlins, if you don't know what chitlins are, for those who are listening, chitlins are the awful, you can call it whatever you want, of the pig, which are the intestines.

21:06And these were the foods that were given to many of the enslaved folks to feed them. And this was the off products that they only had. And for me, chitlins meant so many things for me. It meant struggle. It meant perseverance. It meant resilience. And just to kind of the quick short story, when I was in the fourth grade, we had a show and tell. And I didn't bring anything to show. So I told a story. I talked about the food that I ate that last night or with my family. And it was chitlins. And so one of the kids knew what chitlins were and they ridiculed me. They said, ill, you ate that food. You know, all the things that you can say ugly to a kid about the food that they ate.

21:50And I was embarrassed. And I didn't talk about the foods that I ate for probably six or seven years. We're talking about all the way into high school, right? I didn't share what I ate anymore. And then when I went to culinary school and worked at some of these amazing restaurants after culinary school, I realized that I don't need to be ashamed of the foods that I grew up on. And chitlins were one of them. And so when I opened up my restaurant, June Baby, I had chitlins on the menu, which is like uncommon for a restaurant to have chitlins on their menu unless you're like this small homegrown neighborhood restaurant.

22:23And I was, but I had a big name behind me. And I was like, I made a statement by putting chitlins on the menu. And for me, we branded these shirts and hoodies that say Chitlins because we're making something out of nothing. And that was the story behind Chitlins and is the story for me. Wow. Mic drop. I mean, my mic is on an arm, but if I could drop it, I would for you. Wow. Very powerful. What was the reception like for guests at your restaurant when they saw it on the menu? Were you able to have conversations with your guests about it? Yeah, it's nostalgia for some folks. It brought back memories.

22:57It's always a conversation starter. Honestly, that's what the chitlins are meant to be now. It's a conversation starter. And the folks who know chitlins, they like, thank you for doing this. This is ballsy, but thank you for doing this. Because a lot of people don't eat anyone's chitlins. You're going to eat aunties or grandmas. No one else's. So for me to put chitlins on the menu, that's a lot of trust in me that they're going to order it and eat it. And then when you have people saying, oh, my gosh, I will order your chitlins anytime. And I got to tell everyone else, like, you know, you've made it as a chef if you can convince people to eat chitlins.

23:32Wow. So you've totally obviously the original narrative is there, but you're helping change the narrative to make this be a very positive experience and positive memory. Absolutely. Bringing people together through food. There you go. All right. I need to know, where do you see Food with Ruth's going in the next five years? Yeah. The short answer is I want Food with Ruth's to be nationwide. Our pimento cheese is our flagship item, and I want it in as many grocery stores as possible. You know, the backstory with pimento cheese and why it's our flagship. I've grew up with pimento cheese, but there's a lot of bad pimento cheese out there.

24:12With fillers and all kind of weird cheese, all the things. And I wanted to create something that can be award-winning, that can stand up to burgers, be on a charcuterie board, to make amazing tea sandwiches and finger sandwiches. And that's what we did. We have award-winning cheese in our product, which is our base. We have amazing spices. And so when I want people to experience our pimento cheese, I want them to change their mind if they've had a bad experience with pimento cheese, because there is a lot of inferior. Or I want people to learn about pimento cheese for the first time through our products.

24:46And so we are premium. We don't come in at the$4.99 level. We're$9.99 on most retail shelves, and it's well worth it. It is a party starter, it is a party stopper. It is amazing, it's beautiful, It's delicious. And we're going to build our name off of this pimento cheese. And we have these beautiful tubs here. Our flavors is the original spicy Cajun. And then we have a white cheddar ranch. It's empty right now. Of course. It says a lot. Yeah. And then we're also known for our southern cornbread mix here. But I want the brand to be built on the back of the pimento cheese spread. We're pushing it hard.