116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Ground Floor: Tofu made from Iowa soy ‘blows other tofu out of the water’
Iowa is one of the top soybean producing states in the nation, but very little of the state's soybean harvest actually makes it to Iowans' dinner plates.
Three Iowa City entrepreneurs want to change that.
'Iowa is proud to grow soybeans but is not so proud to eat them,” said Jake Gratzon. 'We are using the state's resources to create an amazing product.”
That product is tofu.
Gratzon and his business partners Matthew Mesaros and Tim Schuett are the owners of Old Capitol Food Company, which produces fresh tofu using locally-sourced, organic, non-GMO soybeans.
Gratzon compares his company's product to fresh mozzarella cheese.
'It blows other tofu out of the water,” he said. 'It's smoother, sweeter, and absorbs flavor better.”
Gratzon and Mesaros developed the idea behind Old Capitol Food Company in early 2014 when they were students at the University of Iowa. Knowing they wanted to create a business around fresh, local foods, they originally considered producing salad dressing. However, they ultimately decided to focus on tofu.
'People don't have a brand loyalty to tofu,” Gratzon explained. 'When I ask people what brand of tofu they eat, they'd sooner tell me where they bought it.”
Gratzon and Mesaros entered their idea in the UI Business Model Competition in the spring of 2014. They took third place and won $3,500, which they used as seed money for the business. They then participated in a business accelerator program through the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and received additional seed money.
In December, they moved into a space off Herbert Hoover Highway in Iowa City and began constructing a kitchen and work space. Their friend Tim Schuett signed on to help with the build-out and soon became an indispensable part of the team.
Old Capitol Food Company went into production just over a month ago and supplies tofu to the kitchens at New Pioneer Food Cooperative and several area restaurants. The business is gearing up for retail sales within the next month.
The men plan eventually to expand their product line to flavored tofu.
'To build a sustainable business, we have to do something different,” Mesaros said. 'Flavored tofu is the way to do that.”
At a Glance
' Owners: Jake Gratzon, Matthew Mesaros, and Tim Schuett
' Business: Old Capitol Food Company
' Address: 3569 Dolphin Drive SE, Iowa City
' Telephone: (912) 596-2491
' Email: info@oldcapfood.com
' Website: www.oldcapfood.com
l Know a company that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor”? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com
Jake Gratzon strains pureed and boiled soybeans while making tofu at Old Capitol Food Co. in Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
A batch of soaked soy beans ready to be ground up for tofu production are shown at Old Capitol Food Co. in Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Matt Mesaros scoops up soy beans to make a batch of tofu at Old Capitol Food Company in Iowa City.
Adam Wesley photos/The Gazette A block of freshly-made tofu is shown Aug. 18 at Old Capitol Food Company in Iowa City.
Jake Gratzon drains a vat of boiled soy to be made into tofu at Old Capitol Food Co. in Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Curds and whey of soy are separated to make tofu at Old Capitol Food Co. in Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Jake Gratzon pours soy curds into a pan to be pressed to make blocks of tofu on Aug. 18 at Old Capitol Food Company in Iowa City.
Matt Mesaros stirs a vat of soy to make a batch of tofu at Old Capitol Food Co. in Iowa City on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
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