Union Kitchen

Our Accelerator Brands showed up in force at Art All Night NoMa at Alethia Tanner Park! Events like these are the perfect opportunity to test out products in development and get feedback from consumers--not to mention supporting the local community!

Big shout outs to , , , , , and Vertable Foods for showing up and representing our ecosystem!

Sipping in Style: How Augi Water Blends Fashion and Hydration - Discover how Augustine Amoakohene's Augi Water combines high pH hydration with stylish, eco-friendly packaging for a fashionable, functional drinking experience.

Sipping in Style: How Augi Water Blends Fashion and Hydration Discover how Augustine Amoakohene's Augi Water combines high pH hydration with stylish, eco-friendly packaging for a fashionable, functional drinking experience.

It's always a pleasure working with different groups associated with the USDA Cochran Fellowship Program! This week, our Accelerator Director Barney Rubin met with a delegation of female entrepreneurs from Serbia along with the team from Iowa State University to discuss entrepreneurship and exchange ideas! We look forward to more visits from the USDA Cochran Fellowship Program.

From Science to Sweetness: Nicole Flint’s Crispy Experiment Takes Off! - Discover Nicole Flint's journey from scientist to baker as she introduces a new crispy rice treat line at Nicole's Kitchen. Experience her innovative twists on classic treats with quality ingredients and unique flavors. Read more below!👇

From Science to Sweetness: Nicole Flint’s Crispy Experiment Takes Off! Discover Nicole Flint's journey from scientist to baker as she introduces a new rice krispie line at Nicole's Kitchen. Experience her innovative twists on classic treats with quality ingredients and unique flavors.

D/Lai Ice Cream Launches! Learn how D/Lai Ice Cream Brings Classic Flavors to the Shelf - Experience the taste of the West Coast-inspired flavors with Cory's D/Lai Ice Cream, bringing California vibes to your freezer with new flavors inspired by the laid-back essence of the coast. Read more below ⬇️

Scoopin' Up Sunshine: How D/Lai Ice Cream Brings Classic Flavors to the Shelf Experience the taste of the West Coast with Cory's D/Lai Ice Cream, bringing California vibes to your freezer with new flavors inspired by the laid-back essence of the coast.

Sausage, Sizzle, Repeat: Les Recettes D'Augustin Brings French Flair to the Grill - Discover the French flair of Les Recettes D'Augustin's craft sausages, blending tradition with modernity. Explore how Augustin brings gourmet flavors to the grill. More details below 👇

Sausage, Sizzle, Repeat: Les Recettes D'Augustin Brings French Flair to the Grill Discover the French flair of Les Recettes D'Augustin's craft sausages, blending tradition with modernity. Explore how Augustin brings gourmet flavors to the grill.

New Product Alert! Valentyn Stadnytskyi’s RyeAde Brews Up Tradition - Discover the story of Valentyn Stadnytskyi and his journey to bring traditional Ukrainian kvass to the American market with the launch of RyeAde. RyeAde will shake up the functional beverage category and reintroduce kvass to American consumers through a more approachable lens. We can't wait to see how far Valentyn takes this!

Kvass and the Scientist: Valentyn Stadnytskyi’s RyeAde Brews Up Tradition Discover the story of Valentyn Stadnytskyi and his journey to bring traditional Slavic kvass to the American market with the launch of RyeAde.

Really no caption needed. speaks for itself ♥️

August Tasty Tidbits

August Tasty Tidbits Stay updated with the latest August ecosystem wins, product launches, and accelerator cohort highlights from Union Kitchen. Discover exciting updates from Pop's Bagels, Sweetkiwi, and more! Click on the link below ⬇️

Need a midweek pick-me-up? Stop by ! 🥯✨

From humble beginnings to bagel brilliance! Pop's Bagels' journey began in 2016 with a simple idea: stuffed bagel holes sold at DC farmers markets. After joining the Union Kitchen Accelerator in 2017, Pop's has risen to new heights. Today, they produce over 35,000 units of bread weekly for 40 restaurants and have expanded into more than 100 retail accounts, including Whole Foods Market, with their signature stuffed bagel holes. Now, we're thrilled to announce their newest venture: a pop-up location serving up delicious, freshly-baked bagels!

🎉 Now open: Pop's Bagels at 1625 Eckington Pl NE, Washington DC 20002

Indulge in their mouthwatering freshly baked bagels and delicious bagel sandwiches!

Your next bagel adventure awaits! 🥯❤️

Did somebody say Pinsa? Pinsa Love, founded by Jordan Fainberg, has a pop-up shop in Eckington where he is serving up Pinsas to pizza aficionados and pizzaiolos at heart! 🍕❤️

Jordan started Pinsa Love in 2021 and since then has expanded his CPG Pizzas and Pinsas to over 400 stores nationwide and you can now enjoy fresh Pinsas daily at his pop-up! Stop by today and feel the love!

We were 100% spoiled today with a sneak peak sampling from

🥯🥯you can never have enough bagels in your life. founded by Grant Sarvis is opening their pop up this Friday highly recommend their poki bagel

Snacklins Spices Up Snack Time with New Garden Variety Flavor - Discover the exciting new Garden Variety flavor from Snacklins, the plant-based snack company revolutionizing guilt-free snacking. Try these veggie-packed crisps at Union Kitchen today!

Snacklins Spices Up Snack Time with New Garden Variety Flavor Discover the exciting new Garden Variety flavor from Snacklins, the plant-based snack company revolutionizing guilt-free snacking. Try these veggie-packed crisps at Union Kitchen today!

Are you tired of the same old soggy fries from the frozen foods aisle? Jesse and Ben's Frozen Fries are here to save the day! 🍟

👨‍🍳 Jesse and Ben’s story in a nutshell:
Jesse and Ben, two DC food truck buddies turned restaurateurs, set out to create fries that were both delicious and better for you. After transforming their food truck into a brick-and-mortar storefront, they received high praise for their fries' quality. Recognizing the need for improvement in the frozen french fry aisle, they launched their own brand called Jesse and Ben’s. The result? Crispy, golden fries that are oven and air-fryer-friendly, without the drawbacks of "Big Potato" products. Using all-natural ingredients without preservatives and harmful seed oils, these aren't just fries – they're food you can feel good about eating! 🥔🍟

Grab a bag (or two) and get ready to be the MVP of your next meal! 😍

🚨Product Launch Alert! Meet Augustin Leclerq de Lannoy, founder and CEO of Les Recettes D'Augustin! A certified butcher by trade, Augustin aims to elevate the sausages you love through launching his brand of clean-label, simple ingredient, and most importantly, DELICIOUS Beef, Pork, and Merguez Sausages.

Augustin is launching into the market with a product that people want and it took him under 120 days to do so! Join us in congratulating him on this milestone!

Sipping Success: Susosu Water Named Virginia's Most Intern-Friendly Employers! - Discover how Susosu Water became Virginia's most intern-friendly employer, thanks to its dedication to innovation, community, and employee well-being. Cheers to a healthier workplace culture!

Sipping Success: Susosu Water Named Virginia's Most Intern-Friendly Employers! Discover how Susosu Water became Virginia's most intern-friendly employer, thanks to its dedication to innovation, community, and employee well-being. Cheers to a healthier workplace culture!

We're finally open at Dulles Airport! Now all travelers on Concourse D can sample our awesome local products and support our local businesses.

Stop by on your way in or on your way out and go support your favorite local business and help these products FLY off the shelves! 🛫

A few examples of food and beverage companies that have ✨THRIVED✨ working with Union Kitchen! From delicious empanadas to refreshing, cold-pressed juices, the entrepreneurs behind these amazing companies continue to innovate and shine in the market 😁. Shoutouts to MasPanadas, Caribé Juice, Vegetable and Butcher, SNACKLINS, Compass Coffee, and Jesse and Ben's for crushing it! 🔥

There's nothing we love more than sharing ideas and hosting the next generation of entrepreneurs! On Friday, our Membership Director hosted an Entrepreneurship class from to share our story and our impact with their students.

The students learned about our ecosystem and our Accelerator and we hope we inspired them to consider CPG as their entrepreneurial projects!

We get asked a lot what a typical day looks like at Union Kitchen. And the answer is there is no typical day but it will ALWAYS involve food ☺️🙃🤩 today, our Store Director enjoyed samples from and cookie dough bites!

It’s what dreams are made of 💭 joined our last cohort to package her incredible baked goods starting with a line of the most delicious krispy bar treats 😋 🤤

🤯are those… new potato chips!? Yes they are! Chef Eron has made magic once again by focusing on making things people want (and then some). Hitting store shelves soon. 👏

Coffee Superstars! ☕️🇲🇽🤩 Our friends were featured in the Mexican Cultural Institute’s Annual Report for their coffee tasting!

1790 Coffee joined our Accelerator in 2020 and have since launched in Whole Foods, MOM’s Organic, and more local stores. Congrats again to the 1790 team!

Yuuz LLC Releases New Line of Original and Ginger Yuzu Japanese Lemonade! - Yuuz introduces a refreshing line of Original and Ginger Yuzu Japanese Lemonade, inspired by the rich history and flavors of the yuzu fruit from Japan. Cheers to a modern twist on a traditional beverage!

Yuuz Releases New Line of Original and Ginger Yuzu Japanese Lemonade! Yuuz introduces a refreshing line of Original and Ginger Yuzu Japanese Lemonade, inspired by the rich history and flavors of the yuzu fruit from Japan. Cheers to a modern twist on a traditional beverage!

👀 what is this!? New flavor!!!

🍔 It's National Burger Day so that means another shoutout to Jesse Konig and Ben Johnson of Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers! Jesse and Ben have been a part of our ecosystem for 10 years now and their growth is inspiring to everyone in our community! Keep your 👀 peeled for their new venture Jesse & Ben's as they disrupt the Frozen Fries game and continue their incredible growth. Go support them by getting a burger today!

Do we need a caption for ? Obsessed! Ben and Jesse started Swizzler in college. Since then, they have grown from a food truck to a restaurant, selling in and a line of fries sold in Whole Foods, sprouts, and our stores ofc 🥳🥳🥳🤩

Bread, bagels, sandwiches. We’re winning this weekend!Say hi to founder and CEO Grant Sarvis. Grant is manufacturing incredible breads out of our Eckington facility. It also happens to be the bread for breakfast sandwiches and ours too 😊😁

We love when our founders run product tests in our Kitchen! Meet Abdul Tayyab of . As a member of our Accelerator, Abdul recently joined our kitchen to make his samosa dreams a reality and he was in the office handing out samples while he was product testing. Expect to see his products on the market soon 👀

Navigating the New Normal: Shifts in Food and CPG Investments

Navigating the New Normal: Shifts in Food and CPG Investments Exploring shifts in food and CPG investments amid consumer concerns about rising costs and changing preferences. Analysis of recent trends and impact on the industry.

🔥 Coming in Hotter Than This Weather: new cafes, yuzu-lemonade, and more

🔥 Coming in Hotter Than This Weather: new cafes, yuzu-lemonade, and more Exciting updates on new cafes, yuzu-lemonade, and business growth in our ecosystem, including new retail rollouts and notable member achievements.

Today, we stopped in before our innovation meeting in Rosslyn. It’s been amazing to be a part of their journey from their first location built out of an old laundromat in Shaw to opening their 19th location (and second drive thru) in Virginia. 👏👏

Sausages, Bottled Water, Kvass, Rice Krispie Treats and More! On Wednesday last week, our latest cohort of entrepreneurs pitched their products to a panel of judges at the beautiful Compass Coffee roastery. Congrats to Cohort 26! Can't wait to see their products on shelves from start to finish in under 90 days.

Big thank you's to Sierra from Gelat’oh, Grant from Popsbuns and Amanda from Ingredion for being great judges and more thank you's to our Preferred Partners , 360 Containers, and Atlas Containers for their support in helping us Build Successful Food Businesses!

Gluten-Free Lovers Rejoice! Ingrid's Bakery Launches Fortified Flatbreads

Gluten-Free Lovers Rejoice! Ingrid's Bakery Launches Fortified Flatbreads Discover the journey of Ingrid's Bakery as they launch their Gluten-Free Fortified Flatbreads in partnership with Union Kitchen, catering to the evolving food landscape and promoting health and wellness.

Sweet Success: Gelat'Oh Scoops Up Spotlight for Women's History Month!

Sweet Success: Gelat'Oh Scoops Up Spotlight for Women's History Month! Celebrating Gelat'Oh's success during Women's History Month, read about Sierra Georgia's inspiring journey from launching the first gelato truck in D.C. to mastering the art of gelato making in Italy. Join the celebration with a scoop of their artisanal gelato!

Breaking Bread and Breaking News: Green Island Bakery's Sweet Spotlight on Fox 5!

Breaking Bread and Breaking News: Green Island Bakery's Sweet Spotlight on Fox 5! Discover the story of Green Island Bakery and founder Caroline Johnston's journey to share the flavors of Ireland through a passion for pastry-making. Join the culinary adventure and taste the authenticity at Green Island Bakery.

Margarita's March Madness: MasPanadas Goes to the Finals of Albertson's 2024 Innovation Launchpad - Celebrate Margarita Womack's culinary journey with MasPanadas, a finalist at Albertson's 2024 Innovation Launchpad. Indulge in the rich flavors and community spirit of this delicious creation.

Margarita's March Madness:  MasPanadas Goes to the Finals of Albertson's 2024 Innovation Launchpad Celebrate Margarita Womack's culinary journey with MasPanadas, a finalist at Albertson's 2024 Innovation Launchpad. Indulge in the rich flavors and community spirit of this delicious creation.

1790 Coffee: Stirring up Success at Ibero American Night! - Discover the success story of 1790 Coffee, a Mexican heritage brand that shines at the 2024 Ibero American Night, showcasing tradition, flavor, and community through their exceptional products.

1790 Coffee: Stirring up Success at Ibero American Night! Discover the success story of 1790 Coffee, a Mexican heritage brand that shines at the 2024 Ibero American Night, showcasing tradition, flavor, and community through their exceptional products.

MasPanadas in Miami 😎 Margarita Shares Exciting story of Success at Angeles Investors Q1 Pitch Night

MasPanadas in Miami 😎 Margarita Shares Exciting story of Success at Angeles Investors Q1 Pitch Night Discover the inspiring journey of Margarita Womack, founder of MasPanadas, and her remarkable success story shared at Angeles Investors Q1 Pitch Night in Miami.