♪ >> JOINING US IS FOUNDER OF HYATT’S CHEESECAKE, MATT FEATHERSTONE. THANK YOU FOR COMING BY. A BALTIMORE OWNED BUSINESS. THIS IS TRULY GRASSROOTS. TAKE US TO THE BEGINNING, IT WAS YOU AND MAKES. >> EXACTLY. WHEN I WAS YOUNG, MY MOM USED TO BAKE ALL THE TIME. I WOULD BE IN THE KITCHEN WITH HER BAKING AND I SAID ONE DAY I CAME IN AND -- HE CAME IN WITH A CHEESECAKE, FELL IN LOVE, WENT TO THE RECIPE, IT TURNED INTO ME MAKING CHEESECAKE FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND EVENTS AND I ENDED UP IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. 10 YEARS INTO BEING A BARTENDER AT A RESTAURANT INDUSTRY I DECIDED TO RANDOMLY TAKE A CAKE TO WORK. THE OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT AND EXECUTIVE CHEF AND COWORKERS REALLY PUSHING ME TO GOING TO BUSINESS SO THAT IS WHAT I DID, STAR HYATT’S CHEESECAKE. JASON: YOU’VE BEEN IN WHOLE FOODS AND THIS KROGER THING, I THINK THIS IS A BIG DEAL. DESCRIBE WHY IT IS BIG TO GET INTO KROGER. >> KROGER IS THE NUMBER TWO GROCERY IN THE COUNTRY SO -- THAT IS NEXT TO WALMART SO YOU ARE LOOKING AT 2800 GROCERY STORES AND POTENTIALLY THAT COULD GO FURTHER WITH POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF ALBERTSONS. JASON: ONCE YOU GET IN THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT FOR YOUR -- FROM YOUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN THE KITCHEN SO YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE OUTFIT. >> YOU GOT IT. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR COLD MANUFACTURERS SO WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES TO BE INSIDE OF KROGER. JASON: YOU DID SOME CROWDFUNDING AND FOLKS MUST REALLY LIKE YOU BECAUSE HE RAISED A TON OF MONEY. HOW MUCH DID YOU END UP RAISING AND HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL TO GET IT? >> SO FAR WE ARE JUST UNDER 14,000, VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE INVESTORS. THE CAMPAIGN IS STILL GOING ON, ON THE 30TH. WE ARE TRYING TO RAISE MONEY TO GET A DELIVERY VEHICLE THAT WILL HELP US START BUILDING OUR CAPABILITIES IN THE MID ATLANTIC AND PICKING UP MORE CLIENTS. JASON: THERE ARE SOME YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS WHETHER THEY ARE BIG OR STARTING A PRODUCT OF THEIR OWN. WHAT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE DON’T THEY KNOW THAT WILL HELP THEM? MATT: I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS A PERSON HAS TO DO IS ANALYZE THEIR PROCESS AND I DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. I PUSH PAST. ANYTIME I HEAR IT IS A KNOW IT IS A NO NOT NOW. I DO MY DUE DILIGENCE AND RESEARCH SO I CAN EVENTUALLY GET INTO A PLACE LIKE KROGER. YOU JUST GOTTA PUSH HARD. PART JASON: OF THAT WAS MAKING IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. YOU SAID WHEN YOU HIT YOUR STRIDE EVERYTHING WENT AWAY. MATT: IN 2019, WE BECAME VENDORS OF CISCO. THEY HAD US ON A 40 RESTAURANTS. AND AS SOON AS COVID HEY, THAT WAS IT. WE LOST PRETTY MUCH ALL THE RESTAURANTS. WE ENDED UP BECOMING VENDORS OF HOPE FOR THESE MARKETS. THAT WHOLE FOODS MARKETS. WE WERE HARBOR EAST AND ALSO IN FLORIDA AVENUE IN D.C.. JASON: WE HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU BROUGHT EVERY VARIETY YOU COULD HAVE. WHAT IS THE BIG SELLER? WHAT IS THE ONE YOU RUN OUT OF THE MOST TOM: JENNIFER: SWEET POTATO FANTASY. -- MOST TOM: -- MOST? MATT: SWEET POTATO FANTASY. ANYTHING WE ARE MAKING IN THE HOUSE. HERE YOU HAVE SIGNATURE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST AND A CHEESECAKE, SWEET POTATO PIE. JASON: I DON’T THINK YOU CAN GO WRONG WITH ANY OF THESE. PEOP