A
STARTUP
ACCELERATOR
PROGRAM
FOR FOOD
& BEVERAGE
STARTUPS
HEADED TOWARDS
FOOD SERVICE
Our mission is to help grow companies that are positively influencing Food’s journey to our tables.
The Food Foundry is a Chicago-based growth accelerator program by Relish Works built in partnership with Gordon Food Service and 1871. The Food Foundry supports, connects, and propels innovative startups who are reimagining the food industry.
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WE
SUPPORT
YOU
IN
THREE
WAYS
01
FINANCING
We provide startups who are accepted into the program with $75k of venture capital funding to grow their businesses. Please see our FAQ page for a further explanation of funding.
02
RESOURCES
We connect our startups to national foodservice business resources, provide a targeted yet flexible curriculum, and support them with dedicated mentors and access to our team of innovation and design professionals.
03
COMMUNITY
We host a number of events and workshops that connect startups with like-minded entrepreneurs, seasoned mentors and industry experts within one of the nation’s brightest food startup hotspots – Chicago, Illinois.
In our 2022 program we worked with food & beverage startups with an eye toward foodservice. Our fourth program wrapped up in May 2022.
The world is changing, and so are we. Consumers continue to demand more from their food. They want food that is cultivated through ethical and sustainable processes, made from healthy & nutritious ingredients, and comes from companies that are also doing good. In our 2022 program, we worked with food companies, magnifying impact by helping these food companies grow into foodservice, bringing good-for-you foods to tables across North America.

We were thrilled to present our fourth Showcase in person at Cleveland Avenue on May 12th, 2022.