“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind,” says Albert Einstein.
The meal delivery space has been growing at an accelerated pace, especially the plant-based and health segments. It’s been fascinating to see the level of innovation the industry has experienced over the last few years, whether it’s food technology or packaging technology.
Mark Fachler, Founder, and CEO of Veestro is a passionate “foodpreneur”, who comes with a mission to provide fully prepared gourmet meals with all-natural ingredients, no preservatives or animal products. Mark is an authoritative insider in the health-food space with ample experience in food preparation, manufacturing processes and e-commerce.
Inception Story
Every business has a story to tell, and the story behind Veestro starts from the childhood of Mark with his sister Monica Klausner (Co-founder). As Mark quotes, “growing up as brother and sister in a big family in Costa Rica we always loved the social aspect of sharing a great meal together. And we still look forward to those special times surrounded by friends and family and home-cooked food.” After relocating to the US for college, fast food became quick and easy to eat between classes and studying. As time went by, Mark struggled to find healthy and convenient meal options and working in banking for long hours only left him with little time to spend on cooking or grocery shopping which resulted in his every day meal being expensive as well as detrimental to his health. After much research, he realized that many people struggle with these same issues every day. People who were looking for solutions that best fit their lifestyles inspired Mark, and that’s how Veestro was born, right at the intersection between health and convenience.
As a first step, Mark joined forces with a world-class gourmet chef who was born into a vegetarian family in Bolivia and perfected the art of plant-based dining. The chef’s culinary style was inspired by fresh cuisines from across the globe, yielding an eclectic set of flavorful vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Veestro: Delivering 100% Plant-Based Food
Veestro is a pioneer in the plant-based meal delivery space, which has emerged as the newest concept in Food Commerce. The company offers gourmet prepared meals, delivered straight to the door anywhere in the continental US, which means no more shopping, chopping, cooking or cleaning. Just heat and enjoy! Mark proudly states that “Veestro’s meal plans have changed people’s lives, and will change yours too,” He adds, “You can eat our meals knowing that you’re enjoying all-natural, preservative-free food that’s high in protein and fiber, packed with nutrients and simply delicious — straight from your refrigerator or freezer. Veestro is part of a movement that proves you don’t have to sacrifice taste and convenience for health-conscious, nutritious food. Enjoy!”
Through their website, the company offers more than 45 different products to choose from and customers have the option to order a la carte, meal packs designed for specific goals or subscribe to their service to receive automatic shipments. Mark has made great strides since the company’s launch to provide people with what they want: great tasting, chef-crafted and sustainable plant-based meals delivered straight to their doors, anywhere in the country. “Our end goal is to help people incorporate more vegetables into their diet, improving their health and lifestyle,” says Mark.
Veestro’s Success Attributes
Passion is the most important quality that Mark looks for their growing team. They strive to provide their customer with convenience and health packed in a delicious chef-crafted meal, complemented with information that will lead them to make smarter eating choices and create healthier habits. Veestro’s success can be attributed to a series of factors:
Branding: A beautiful brand with a consistent voice and great values.
Quality: High level of customer satisfaction results in positive reviews and high reorder rates.
Topnotch customer service: Creates customer loyalty.
Creating The Change
The industry is changing rapidly, and the people at Veestro are always working hard to maintain the Veestro brand relevant. They accomplish that by being a part of the conversation. Over the years, they’ve participated in a variety of organizations, ranging from Plant Based Foods Association which educates the public on the importance of plant-based products and boosts consumer acceptance; to PETA who encourages plant-based nutrition with the purpose of minimizing animal consumption.
Dreaming High, Achieving Big
The best part of Veestro and the main reason it was founded was all about improving people’s lives. Veestro management’s primary objective is to ensure that they remain at the forefront of the plant-based movement as it transitions into the mainstream. At Veestro they lead by example. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to understand every aspect of the business. Since the business was founded, Mark has taken part in every process, which has allowed him to find efficiencies in every task. As the company continues to grow at an accelerated rate, it’s crucial to have a set of best practices in place that can be adapted as volume increases. In less than four years, Veestro has achieved year over year growth of +200% and re-order rates that are considerably higher than the industry average. As of Q1 2017, the company is shipping 60,000 meals per month.
