Something Better Foods

Feb 28

GW Chew has a mission, and that mission is to get people to embrace a plant-based diet. Something Better Foods LLC was born out of GW’s vision to promote healthier eating and to take that concept mainstream. Founded in Arkansas in 2011, Something Better Foods offers plant-based substitutes for meat and dairy products. As Chef Chew says, he was “born to change lives one chew at a time.”

Chef Chew moved from Arkansas to California and brought his business with him. In 2016, he worked with his church to open The Veg Hub restaurant in Oakland, with a goal of bringing delicious and healthy eating opportunities directly to the East Bay community. Demand quickly outstripped supply, and Chef Chew needed more equipment to produce his plant-based foods.

With the support of Wells Fargo and the Diverse Community Capital program, Working Solutions made a $50,000 loan to Chef Chew and Something Better Foods LLC.

In addition to capital, Chef Chew has received free, personalized business consulting through Working Solutions to support the growth of his business—which includes plans to expand into Whole Foods Market locations. Support has included expert guidance from Working Solutions advisors on:

Navigating distribution and sales channels in the food industry;
Setting accurate pricing and margins to attain his profit target; and
Improving operational systems and enhancing efficiency.

Chef Chew at the Veg Hub in Oakland (Photo Credit: Erin Crysdale)

In recognition of his work to bring healthy, plant-based foods and good jobs to the local East Bay community, Working Solutions was proud to honor Chef Chew with the 2018 Invest in Dreams Breakfast Impact Award. Watch his inspiring video from the event at the link below, and check out the other great recent coverage Chef Chew has received for his work.

To find out more about where you can try Chef Chew’s delicious vegan cuisine, visit www.somethingbetterfoods.com and www.theveghub.com!

Media Highlights:

Featured in Authority Magazine on September 6, 2019: “‘From Avocation To Vocation’: How We Turned Our Hobby Into A Career' with Chef GW Chew”
Featured in new videos from Mercy For Animals and Fuse TV's T-Pain School of Business
Featured on Wells Fargo Stories on March 7, 2019: “Vegan soul food: Improving health ‘one chew at a time’”
Featured in Next City on November 5, 2018: “Closing the Bay Area ‘Friends and Family’ Capital Gap”
Featured in the San Francisco Chronicle on November 4, 2018: “Startup loans to black entrepreneurs to ‘interject some balance in capitalism’”
Video from the 2018 Food Funded Entrepreneurship and Investor Fair, where Something Better Foods won the Investors' Choice Award (see 0:46-1:09)
Video from the 2018 Invest in Dreams Breakfast, where Chef Chew was honored with the Impact Award
Featured in the East Bay Express on March 7, 2017: “The Veg Hub in Oakland Cooks Fake Meat for the People”
Video of Chef Chew talking about his delicious and nutritional cuisine