Hidden Gems: Meet Zachary York of JUST CHKN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary York.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It really started in our kitchen around 2020. My wife and I both come from food industry backgrounds, so we’ve always been particular about what goes into a meal, and that naturally extended to what we were feeding our dogs, Oatmeal and Alfredo. We started dehydrating chicken breast at home, and the reaction was immediate. Even Oatmeal, who is notoriously picky, couldn’t get enough.

We started sharing treats with friends and family and kept hearing the same thing: their dogs loved them and they felt good about actually knowing what was in the treat. That feedback planted the seed.

The thing that really pushed us to launch JUST CHKN as a brand was the gap we saw in the market. Single-ingredient, quality chicken treats existed, but they were expensive and often sitting on shelves for months by the time they reached your dog. We knew we could do better and keep it affordable. So we built a made-to-order model where every bag is made fresh after you place your order, no warehouses, no mystery shelf life.

Today JUST CHKN is still a family operation, still just us, still made in small batches with one ingredient. We’re based in Atlanta and love being part of a community of dog owners who just want to give their pets something real.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? Not exactly. The product itself was never the hard part, we knew from day one that dogs loved it and that the quality spoke for itself. The real challenge has been getting in front of the right people.

The pet treat space is dominated by big-box brands with massive ad budgets. When someone searches for chicken dog treats, they’re met with a wall of sponsored results from companies that spend more on marketing in a day than we do in a month. As a small, family-run brand we’re not playing the same game, and honestly we don’t want to. But that means we’ve had to be scrappy and creative about how we build awareness.

We’ve leaned heavily into community, word of mouth, and finding the people who are already looking for something better. The dog owners who find us usually do so because they’re frustrated with what’s on shelves, dogs with allergies, sensitivities, or owners who just flipped a bag over, read the ingredient list, and thought ‘there has to be something cleaner than this.’ Those are our people and they tend to become our biggest advocates.

It’s a slower path than running ads, but the customers we earn that way are loyal ones. Every bag we drop off locally, every Reddit thread we chime in on, every blog we connect with, it all adds up. We’re building something real, and that takes (lots of) time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
JUST CHKN is a family-run dog treat brand based in Atlanta, Georgia. My wife and I started it together, and it’s still just the two of us, which means every single bag that goes out the door has been made by someone who actually cares about what’s in it.

The product is simple by design. One ingredient: real chicken breast. No fillers, no preservatives, no ingredients you need a chemistry degree to pronounce. We dehydrate it low and slow, fully cooked, and we make every batch fresh after you order. Your dog isn’t getting something that’s been sitting in a warehouse for six months. They’re getting something made for them specifically, that week.

What we specialize in is treating dogs that other treats have failed. We hear it constantly from customers whose dogs have diabetes, food allergies, sensitive stomachs, or are just impossibly picky eaters. When there’s only one ingredient, the guesswork is gone. Pet owners dealing with health-conscious feeding decisions finally have something they can give without hesitation.

What sets us apart is the made-to-order model. It’s not the most scalable way to run a business, we’ll be the first to admit that, but it’s the right way to do it. Peak freshness, peak nutrition, and a level of quality control you simply can’t get from mass production.

What are we most proud of? Honestly, the trust. When a dog owner tells us their vet-restricted pup can finally have a treat again, or that their picky eater goes absolutely crazy for JUST CHKN, that means everything. We’re not just selling a snack. We’re giving dog owners something they can feel genuinely good about every single day.

We want your readers to know that clean, simple, real dog treats don’t have to cost a fortune. We built JUST CHKN specifically to be a quality alternative that’s actually accessible. And if you’re on the fence, your dog will make the decision for you.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
First and foremost, my wife Ana. JUST CHKN is as much her brand as it is mine. She’s been in it from the very first batch we made in our kitchen, and her eye for quality and her passion for doing things the right way are baked into everything we put out. None of this exists without her.

Beyond Ana, our families have been our loudest cheerleaders from day one. Before JUST CHKN was a business, it was just something we made at home, and our families were the first ones handing us honest feedback, sharing bags with their own dogs, and telling us we needed to do something with this. That early encouragement mattered more than they probably know.

We’d also be remiss not to mention our neighbors here in Doraville. They were some of our very first customers and advocates, and there’s something really special about building a brand that your own community believes in. Getting to literally hand deliver fresh bags to people down the street is one of our favorite parts of what we do.

And of course, Oatmeal and Alfredo. Our two dachshunds who started it all and continue to serve as our most rigorous (and enthusiastic) quality control team.

We don’t have a traditional mentor story. We’re entirely home grown, and honestly we’re proud of that. We figured it out as we went, leaned on the people around us, and built something real.

Pricing:

• 10 Oz Bag – $16.99 (free shipping over $30!)
• More coming soon!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.justchkn.store/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justchkn.store/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584561519058