Exclusive Interview: Three Jerks Jerky Founder Talks Kickstarter And A New Flavor

Last time we talked, you guys mentioned expanding into some bigger retailers in the first quarter of this year. How’s that going?

Jordan:  It’s going great! We’ve expanded into Publix in the Southeast, Have & Meyer in the Midwest and we’re looking to expand into some national grocery chains on the West coast the second quarter of this year. Our retail growth is really strong. We are trying to keep up with demand and scale our production as fast as possible. It seems like every time we turn a corner and grow, our demand increases and we’re left trying to keep up with that. So we’re very excited about retail and just trying to keep up with demand.

You mentioned Publix in the Southeast; is that every Publix in the Southeast?

Jordan:  We are in 150 locations and hoping to grow into more.

I’ll have to check out my local Publix!

Jordan:  Publix is such a big chain that 150 isn’t a lot. But hopefully the one by you carries it!

Is that retail presence just the jerky or also the [filet mignon] burgers?

Jordan:  Just the jerky.

I guess getting freezer space is a bit more tricky in grocery chains.

Jordan:  We haven’t really made any movement on the burgers into retail yet. That, we’re still waiting on. It’s doing really well on our website and we’re getting great responses. So it’s something that we’ll approach retail with in the future but we’ve got enough on our plates right now making sure the retailers bringing in the jerky are happy and that we’re properly servicing them. We don’t want to bite off more than we can chew.

What’s your favorite flavor of your jerky?

Jordan:  That’s like the toughest question anyone has ever asked. It’s actually changing. Teriyaki right now is becoming my favorite flavor at the moment. But my favorite flavor changes pretty often. It usually depends on what I’m doing and what I’m eating and what I’m in the mood for – if I want spicy or I want sweet. But right now, teriyaki. Probably because it’s so new and it’s so good, I’m eating that more often than the other flavors.

That’s such an easy, diplomatic answer.

Jordan:  [laughs] Well it’s like if you have children, which is your favorite child? How do you answer that? We put so much love into making every single one of these flavors. Going back to when we made it ourselves in my kitchen, we developed these ourselves and it’s hard to say I love one more than the other. I know that’s such a political, crappy response but it’s really the truth.

At least you’re honest! Any final thoughts before we wrap up?

Jordan:  We’re jut really excited about Kickstarter because it’s taking us back to where we started. I hadn’t looked at our original Kickstarter campaign and video in a very long time and we were watching it the other day. It kind of brings us back a couple years and the fact that we actually started this from nothing. It’s a humbling reminder that it’s possible to follow a dream and create something from nothing. As our business has grown and we’ve dealt with challenges, growing pains, and partnerships, it’s easy to lose sight of where we came from.

There’s just a lot to be proud of. It’s a really cool time to go back to Kickstarter and remember just three years ago what we started with and what we’ve accomplished. Not that we’re the most inspirational story out there – there’s a lot more inspirational stories – but we’re proud that people can look at where we are today and say “hey, it’s definitely possible to chase after something and if you work hard enough, you can make it happen.”

And you guys have stayed friends through it all!

Jordan:  Yea. Imagine that! And we’ve even gotten closer. It really makes me proud and I’m really excited about what we have to offer right now.

That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Jordan for taking the time to chat with us. To check out their Kickstarter campaign, click here.