218 - Let’s Party with Vegan Nacho Cheese Creator Lauren Joyner

Episode • Feb 22, 2023 • 1h 5m

What does it take to become a successful vegan entrepreneur? Today’s guest can tell you. Lauren Joyner grew up, like so many people, eating a diet rich in meat, dairy and processed foods. For her family, queso was a staple on the dinner table. However, as an adult, working as a tech startup designer, something changed. She made the switch to a plant-based diet and began taking an interest in creating delicious, nutritious plant-based alternatives to the comfort foods she ate growing up.

Fast forward to today and she’s the founder of House Party snacks—formerly known as LOCA Foods—a cheese dip company that makes transcendent plant-based the queso dips capable of converting even the most staunch dairy cheese dip devotee. If you’ve been to a San Francisco Giants game recently, you might have had the great pleasure of trying one of her fabulous dips.

Join us for an enlightening conversation where we discuss the ins and outs of starting a successful plant-based snack-food business!

“I had no background or knowledge of the food industry. I didn’t have a background with food science. You know, I started out just genuinely trying to play around for myself. I felt that the products that were available to me in the grocery store that I was buying, and that are delicious, and that I love, they just didn’t quite capture that junk-food taste I was going after. They tasted a little bit more of a, it just had a different taste and texture, and while delicious, in and of itself, it didn’t replicate that Velveeta, that Tostitos dip that I was still craving.”

- Lauren Joyner

What we discuss in this episode:

What inspired Lauren to switch to a plant-based diet and how it affected her health?
The steps she took to create her amazing dips and launch her business.
The risks and challenges she faced.
Her desire to make positive changes in the food industry.
Her advice to anyone looking to make a change in their lives.
The ingredients she uses in her nutrient-dense dips.
How she markets to non-vegans.
What makes her products special?
Why it’s important to support start-up vegan brands.
Why she rebranded from LOCA Foods to House Party snacks?