Startup frozen pizza brand Yough! is turning a clean-ingredient concept into a scalable business, navigating production challenges and specialty retail expansion to meet growing consumer demand.
When Yough!’s Co-founder Michael Rolland first heard about a Greek yogurt pizza trend online, he never imagined it would lead to his next big venture, along with his Co-founders, Corey Arenson, Jason Miller and Haleigh Rosa.
“During COVID, my Co-founder Corey Arenson reached out – he said, ‘Mike, we have something here with Yough!‚’” Rolland recalled. Yough!’s COO Jason Miller, who has ulcerative colitis, discovered how the two-ingredient Greek yogurt dough trend improved his health.
“You need delusional enthusiasm – there will be naysayers and unexpected challenges."
Michael Rolland, CEO, co-founder, Yough!
Rolland, who spent decades in the food delivery space, said he immediately saw the opportunity.
“Helping restaurants build their brands was great, but I always dreamed of having my own food brand,” he said. “When Jay and Corey approached me, the timing felt right to create something we could scale from scratch.”
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Navigating production challenges
Turning Yough!’s concept into a nationwide product wasn’t without its hurdles. The team quickly ran into production issues with the Greek yogurt crust.
“As we geared up for our second production run, issues started popping up – the Greek yogurt moisture, the dough sticking, equipment not designed for this kind of pizza,” Rolland explained.
“Our co-packer in Wisconsin did their best, but to fix it properly, they would have needed new equipment that was too expensive. We had to go back to the drawing board.”
The team visited the Pizza Expo and tested equipment in the Netherlands, working closely with their head of product and Miller to reformulate.
“It went down to the wire, but finally we had a product that could scale,” Rolland said. “Now Yough! 2.0 has the perfect crust – crispy, fluffy – and a sauce that tastes great even frozen.”
Building a retail footprint
Once production was stabilized, the next step was getting Yough! onto shelves.
“We started DTC to test the market, but we knew retail was key,” Rolland noted. The team worked with specialty grocers like Erewhon in Los Angeles and Pop-Up Grocer in New York City.
‘If you can’t pronounce it, we don’t put it in’
“We leveraged our network and brought on partners like Cultivate CPG to help us navigate larger retail relationships. The goal is to make Yough! a staple in specialty stores across the country,” he said.
Holland emphasized that part of Yough!’s strategy is balancing health-conscious ingredients with flavor and convenience.
“All we have in the crust is organic wheat flour, nonfat Greek yogurt, sea salt and baking powder. If you can’t pronounce it, we don’t put it in,” he said. “It’s about giving people their favorite foods without sacrificing health.”
Funding and scaling
The startup began its funding journey with a friends-and-family round in 2022, but scaling nationwide requires additional investment.
“We’ve been very conservative, running a lean operation, but we’re gearing up to raise a priced round soon,” Rolland said. “To scale these retail relationships and meet demand, we need the runway to execute properly.”
‘You need delusional enthusiasm’
Rolland also offers guidance for other entrepreneurs trying to bring innovative food products to market.
“You need delusional enthusiasm – there will be naysayers and unexpected challenges,” Rolland emphasized. “Whether it’s navigating production issues, finding the right co-packer or getting onto shelves, persistence and problem-solving are key. Start small, iterate fast, and don’t be afraid to pivot when you hit roadblocks.”
