Chicago was once the center of the meat packing industry due to its proximity to Midwest farms and railroad hubs. Now the city is becoming the hub for alternative meats, with yet another alt-meat startup choosing the city as its headquarters.
Next Gen Foods announced Wednesday that Chicago will be its U.S. headquarters. Next Gen Foods is the parent company behind TiNDLE, which produces plant-based chicken products.
“As TiNDLE has experienced incredible, sustained growth in the past 15 months – much of it in the U.S. – now is the perfect time to solidify our presence here as we finalize our home base in Chicago,” Andre Menezes, CEO and co-founder of Next Gen Foods, said in a statement. “As a new resident myself, I’m constantly inspired by this city and the potential it holds for the future of the plant-based food industry, but also food innovation in general.”
Next Gen Foods is based in Singapore, but recently the company and its TiNDLE product have become popular in the Windy City as many restaurants have started to include the company’s plant-based chicken on their menus. The company said more than 15 restaurants have picked up its products in the last six months.
Aside from the dietary benefits, plant-based meats require less land, less water and emit less greenhouse gasses than traditional meats, according to the Good Food Institute.
In addition to choosing Chicago for its headquarters, Next Gen Foods also announced the launch of a research and development (R&D) program that will be located in The Hatchery, a food and beverage incubator. According to Next Gen, its R&D program will focus on developing new products for TiNDLE.
In the last couple of months, food-tech startups have been heating up the tech scene in Chicago. In August, Clever Carnivore, a company that can make real meat without the need for livestock, also opened its headquarters in Chicago. In May, a startup turning sugar water into pasta secured new funding.
