Featured Entrepreneurs of the Week: Dave Lefkow and Justin Esch

Dave Lefkow & Justin Esch

Our ZINO Society featured ZINOpreneur Members this week are Dave Lefkow and Justin Esch, Bacontrepreneurs for J&D's Foods, Inc. Dave and Justin presented their company at the ZINO Society ZINO Marketplace Investment Forum featuring consumer products and services in November, 2010.  J&D's Foods was selected as a fund finalist and ultimately as the fund winner! We asked Dave and Justin to share the answers to a few questions about their company.

• What is your one-sentence elevator pitch? . . . J&D’s Foods delivers flavors people LOVE in new and innovative ways.
• How did you come up with the idea for your company? . . . Bacon Salt, our first product, was inspired by a drink called a Mitch Morgan, which is a shot of bourbon with a bacon garnish. Seeing that served in a popular bar in Colorado made us realize that the world needed a seasoning that made everything taste like bacon.
• The word that best describes your company culture is . . . Unique!
•  How are you different from your competition? . . . We have delicious and innovative products, we’re incredibly hard-working (there are currently only 4 of us) and nimble (we can launch a new product for under $1,000), and have perhaps the most cost-efficient, highly effective marketing strategy in the food industry.
• What is the biggest challenge you face? . . . Not having enough capital to continue our aggressive rate of growth.
• How much money have you raised to date? . . .  $985,000
• If someone gave your company $3 million tomorrow, how would you use the money? . . . We would continue with our strategy to expand the distribution of our fastest turning items, add staff to keep up with demand and push the pace of sales.
•  What is the oddest or most unusual thing about your company? . . . Our guerilla marketing tactics, which included a unique launch party for Baconnaise, during which we wrestled a giant strip of bacon vs. a giant jar of mayonnaise in 6,000 lbs of mayonnaise (for charity of course). Our Giant Bacon mascot continues to be one of our most effective promotions.
• What is one thing missing from your business? . . . Real bacon – all of our bacon-flavored products are vegetarian and kosher.
• Why will your company be successful? . . .  We believe it comes down to 4 main things: having the right people, the right products, strong distribution networks/relationships and the right promotional strategy.
  Without question, we’ve got the hardest working people in the food business – in 3 years, we’ve gained distribution in over 10,000 grocery stores worldwide with only 4 people on staff, and have shipped over 100,000 online orders to people in all 50 states and 58 countries. In terms of products, Bacon Salt is the fastest growing line of seasoning salts in the entire US, and BaconPOP is exceeding the largest grocery retailer in the US’s sales expectations by 150% (and accelerating), and lots of momentum with products like Bacon Ranch, Baconnaise and Bacon Gravy. These products are resonating with retailers and consumers – in fact, there are some major opportunities with Walmart and Kroger on the near term horizon.

Dave Lefkow, "Bacon", Justin Esch with ZINO check.

In terms of promotions, we focus on using PR, social media, and guerilla marketing to level the playing field and set ourselves apart from much larger food companies. To date, our products have been featured on Oprah, ABC News, CNN, The Food Network, E! News, The Daily Show, The Tonight Show, and in hundreds more TV, radio, print, online and social forums. Our marketing strategies have been featured in 6 McGraw Hill textbooks and the Wall St. Journal as well as a book by word of mouth marketing guru Seth Godin. We’re also about to put Bacon Salt on the tables of the biggest breakfast restaurant chain in the US and Canada in March of 2011, which will result in millions of consumer trials and an even higher level of awareness about J&D’s Foods.

Last but not least, we have a LOT of fun doing what we do, and when you do what you love, you have great opportunities to be successful.