DON’T CHASE YOUR MARKET, MAKE YOUR MARKET.

FILED 09.24.26 / RECORD RETAINED

One-hour assessment and discovery.

Based on public information only; recommendations are preliminary.

CREATIVE PARTNER ON BRAND STRATEGY

Growth AssessmentTHIC Desserts

THIC Desserts. The path to growth.

Prepared by Jonathan Grey · October 2026

THIC has built a product people come back for: a chef-made, high-protein cheesecake with real ingredients and a founder story most food brands would envy. The constraint is access. Very few people can find it, and fewer can buy it. Growth comes from two things working together: a sharper brand, and consistent presence in the field.

Brand strategy Field sales Stage: founder-led

Up to27g

Protein per jar, from real dairy

Nearly7

Years fueling NFL combine athletes

15+

Flavors in the current lineup

Public locations listed today

Ways to order online

Findings

What's working

Strong protein per serving without powders or fillers
On-trend ingredients and flavors: cottage cheese, ube, Dubai chocolate
A credible founder: celebrity chef, NFL, Food Network
An existing vending channel through BeetzEats
Memorable flavor names and brand voice

What's holding it back

Limited points of purchase
No online ordering and no active drop
A lineup too broad for retail buyers
The founder story sits off the main page
No pricing or nutrition facts on the site

Opportunities

Brand strategy

Focus the lineup

Retail buyers commit to three or four proven sellers. Lead with hero flavors and rotate the rest as limited drops.

Brand strategy

Lead with the founder

Chef Beeta's NFL and Food Network credentials are the brand's strongest asset. Put them on the jar, the sell sheet and every channel.

Field sales

Make it easy to buy

Four locations limit discovery. Add doors in gyms, cafes and markets, and run drops on a fixed schedule.

Brand strategy

Choose a primary audience

Dessert, breakfast and post-workout compete for attention. Lead with one moment and let the others follow.

Brand strategy

Strengthen trust signals

Verified reviews, consistent flavor details and clear nutrition information. A cleaner site converts more of the traffic social already drives.

Brand strategy

Make scarcity real

Drop messaging works when drops are visible and regular. A published drop calendar turns interest into urgency.

Field sales

Prepare for retail

Retail labels, barcodes and claims that match the nutrition panel. The groundwork for chain conversations later.

Brand strategy

Fit the name to the channel

The brand voice performs well in fitness settings. A tailored presentation opens doors in offices, hospitality and senior living.

Engagement strategies

Two complementary strategies that work best together, each measured on its own results.

Brand strategy

Hero lineup and audience positioning
Founder story across every touchpoint
Retail label, sell sheet and site refinement
Drop system and social direction

Project based

Field sales

Target account lists and outreach
Sampling, account opening and reorders
Delivery routes and drop coordination
New machine placements

Ongoing · base plus performance

Beta strategy · 90 days

Month 1

Foundation

Sell sheet
Target account lists
Pricing sheet
Order tracking

Month 2

Sampling

Approximately 30 priority visits
Goal of 5 to 10 trial accounts

Month 3

Repeat

Delivery routes
Regular local drops
Reorder reporting

Ongoing

Expand

New machine locations
B2B standing orders
Regional grocery readiness

Target accounts

Independent operators first, where the owner can decide on the spot. Priority goes to locations that already run a grab-and-go fridge.

Resale

Wholesale accounts that restock.

Boutique gyms
Juice and smoothie bars
Specialty coffee
Acai and poke shops
Independent health markets
Meal prep shops
Breakfast and brunch

Placement

On-site fridges and machines.

Apartment amenities
Office break rooms
Coworking spaces
Hotel lobby markets
Golf and tennis clubs

B2B standing orders

Recurring volume with a minimum.

Luxury senior living
Corporate wellness programs
Film and TV craft services
Sports teams and athletics
Private chefs and caterers
Med spas and clinics

Growth playbook

Own Orange County with dense local coverage first
Hero flavors selected from drop and event sales
Gym tastings on peak class days
Run clubs and finish-line sampling
Sample-size jars for walk-ins and B2B pitches
Founder-led content from Chef Beeta's kitchen
Document the build openly on social
Trainers and athletes as early advocates
Local delivery apps to extend reach
Pitch competitions for funding and press
Email capture at every touchpoint
Reorders before chains: proof first, scale second

Category precedents

Refrigerated and frozen protein brands founded since 2018 that started small and local.

Curd

Pop Up Grocer

Cottage cheese protein pudding in 8 oz jars.

Cotto

Local pickup

Tested flavors from a commercial kitchen before scaling.

Smearcase

Happier Grocery NYC

Local first, then Whole Foods and national Sprouts.

Mid-Day Squares

Self-delivered

First US doors were Erewhon and Jimbo's.

Protein Pints

14 Meijer stores

Grew to roughly 8,000 stores nationwide.

Local test/Taste-maker shops/Regional chain/National grocery

Discovery questions

To be answered together before the engagement is finalized.

Goals + scope

Which responsibilities should transition first?
What does success look like at six months?
Is the business founder funded, or supported by friends and family?
What budget is set aside for samples, print and events?
How much founder time is available for content and key pitches?

Product + operations

Current weekly production, and the ceiling?
Cost per jar, wholesale and suggested retail?
Shelf life from production?
Kitchen permits and product liability coverage?
Is the THIC name trademarked?
Interest in a lower-sugar option or lighter packaging?

Channels + marketing

How are new BeetzEats machine locations added?
Current pop-up, farmers market and vendor event schedule?
How are samples shared today?
Who handles invoicing and expired product?
Role of current marketing partners going forward?
Is THIC positioned as its own brand or as part of BeetzEats?

Learn more. Follow up.

This assessment is a starting point. The next conversation is about your goals, what you want to hand off, and where THIC should be in six months.

Jonathan Grey

Brand data from thicdesserts.com as of October 2026. Precedent details from Food Business News, Dairy Processing, FoodNavigator, NOSH and company announcements.

FIELD REPORT / SEC. 04 / CLASSIFIED

CREATIVE PARTNER ON BRAND STRATEGY

The PDF Group. Twenty years of brand and product design for the biggest names in the industry.

Footwear with Converse. Apparel for Stüssy. Full collections designed and sourced for BYLT Basics. Branding and packaging in fitness for Alphalion. Apparel product for Red Bull. Tactical design, plus event design for the Department of Defense Weapons Pitch Day. Marketing materials for large-scale events, including ComplexCon.

Years leading marketing inside top-tier agencies. Programs built for Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target, Dicks sporting goods, where product either sells through or doesn’t come back.

Jonathan Grey lived and worked in Guangzhou, China, at the source. Product development, brand building, licensing and marketing, from the factory floor to the shelf.