Jamie & Kayla Giovinazzo of EAT CLEAN BRO on Creating a Meal Prep Business

Interview with owners of Eat Clean Bro Jamie & Kayla Giovinazzo about prioritizing every customer, the business of healthy food, and building a culture with clear communication.

learn more about Shawn P. Walchef

By Shawn P. Walchef

Key Takeaways

  • A Lesson in Filling a Need - Before meal prep and delivery companies were as widespread as they are now, you had to “have a guy.” Living in New Jersey and having a personal relationship with wrestling star Mike "The Mizz" Mizanin allowed Jamie Giovianzzo to have access to an extensive amount of athletic and entertainment contacts. He was able to get in touch with these connections to offer his cooking and meal prep services. With only four items on the menu and his friend's kitchen as his workspace, Giovianzzo's career had begun.
  • You Are Only As Good As Your Last Meal - Jamie Giovianzzo's father taught him the simple lesson that if something is wrong, fix it. As his business skyrocketed, Giovianzzo and his team were put under immense pressure. Instead of running from it, he extended hospitality to cover for mistakes, owned them, and treated every customer with the individual care and respect they deserved.
  • Communication Is Key To Culture - Kayla Giovianzzo is the key behind the success of the business that is Eat Clean Bro. As the company exploded, there needed to be a clear culture and guidelines in place. Kayla and Jamie ensure that communication from the top down is present, and they keep their employees as a priority.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Jamie and Kayla Giovinazzo have built a healthy food empire with Eat Clean Bro. But success took time, talent, and teamwork.

At 19-years-old the CEO/Founder of Eat Clean Bro Jamie Giovinazzo wanted to combine his two passions of cooking and fitness to create a meal prep company.

The year was 2012 when Jamie took a chance on himself. He was on his last $300 and had given up on his dreams of cooking. Until everything changed for the better.

He began cooking again after a chance phone call from a long lost friend. That was enough to reignite his passion to restart his meal prep company journey during a time when that wasn't really a thing. Eventually, Jamie became "the guy" that cooked and prepared meals for clients.

"I had a Rolodex of business (contacts). So I just started going down by calling everybody's name," Jamie Giovinazzo recalls with Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media. "I had four items on my menu and I started cooking at my buddy's house."

That decision would forever change his life. It also led him to find his wife Kayla and learn she was indeed the one.

Business had been doing so well at this point that Jamie had to call a rain check on a first date with Kayla in order to sort through receipts to submit for taxes. Instead of casting him aside, Kayla decided to help him organize. They have been locked in ever since.

Kayla, who eventually dashed her dreams of being in Law Enforcement to be a part of the family business full time, still exhibits that helpful, considerate propensity to this day as the VP of Eat Clean Bro.

One of the company's overarching goals is "sculpting your company into a positive, uplifting, awesome place to work", according to Kayla. She is the brains behind ensuring the success continues to happen.

The two have built an empire and become a powerhouse couple that has amassed upwards of $20 million in sales per year for the company that now stretches across 15 states and operates out of a 17,000-square-foot facility with 150 employees.

Marriage, money, and meals have all been put into their proper place as Eat Clean Bro continues to grow.

"I'm only as good as my last meal" is a proclamation that Jamie Giovinazzo and Kayla Giovinzzo embody.

With their dedication to hospitality and incredible celebrity backing, the Giovinazzo family's ascension has been fast and shows no signs of slowing.

***

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

Restaurant Influencers is also supported by AtmosphereTV - TV to Enhance Your Business. Try AtmosphereTV.

Shawn P. Walchef

Shawn P. Walchef is the founder of Cali BBQ Media, podcast host, business coach, and proud dad. Since opening Cali BBQ in 2008, he has grown his San Diego restaurant and media company into a global brand using digital tools and smartphone storytelling. 

As a restaurateur who opened during the Great Recession, Shawn learned to use the power of the Internet to stay in business. During the Pandemic, Cali BBQ developed a scalable growth plan that is three times more profitable than the traditional full-service restaurant model.
Email shawn@calibbq.media to get in touch.

Related Topics

More from Restaurant Influencers

André Moraes of PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab on Helping Restaurants Be Future-Proof

Téa Ivanovic of Immigrant Food on the Cause Casual Restaurant Mission

Jamie & Kayla Giovinazzo of EAT CLEAN BRO on Creating a Meal Prep Business

Charlie Eblen of Single Tree BBQ on Becoming the "Nike of BBQ"

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Leadership

I Advise the Real-Life 'Logan Roys' of the World. Here's Where the 'Succession' CEO Went Wrong.

Based on my experience working with and counseling the real-life Logan Roys of the world, here are five lessons the Roy family could benefit from learning.

Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

5 Reasons Why Crypto Projects Need PR in a Bear Market

In economic downturns, companies will cut costs, tighten the belt, retreat. It's ingrained in human DNA, because those who didn't adapt didn't survive. But with both the personal and the economic, merely shrinking or hiding is not enough.

Starting a Business

Is Your Start Up Safe? Here Are 7 Reminders On How To Protect It

Your start-up company is your baby. Whether you have a company or are thinking about starting one, don't forget these seven ways that it can be easily attacked without proper precautions.

Business News

Gen Z Loves the Toyota Camry. Here's What Car Brands Boomers Love Most

S&P Global Mobility provides data on what types of each age group likes the most, based on car registration.