Who is Fred Zwar?
Fred Zwar co-founded Rebel Cheese, the Austin vegan cheese shop and online subscription business, with his wife, Kirsten Maitland. The couple shared a love of food and cheese, and when they went vegan and could not find dairy-free cheese worth eating, they built their own small cheese cave and experimented with cashews and cultures to recreate soft French styles. They started in a 600-square-foot space in a shared commercial kitchen and opened their fromagerie in Austin's Mueller neighborhood in 2019. In 2020 the restaurant won CultureMap's Best New Restaurant award, and the business moved into wholesale and a monthly subscription during the pandemic.
Revenue reached about $2.5 million in 2022. On Shark Tank in Season 15 the couple asked for $750,000 for 5% and said they wanted help with distribution and marketing. Mark Cuban offered $750,000 for 10% and Lori Greiner joined the deal, which they accepted. Rebel Cheese has since grown its e-commerce sales, added a stall at New York's Essex Market and expanded wholesale to restaurants and grocers.
Sources (3)
Written from published interviews, company announcements and news coverage. How we research · Suggest a correction
