Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianna King.
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?
A safe and inclusive dinner table is the bedrock of a strong and healthy community.
I transitioned to a vegan diet after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His progression slowed after incorporating more plant-based foods into his diet but he still passed away May 2017. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Both of my parents have history of cancer and it has inspired me to make the change to a vegan diet June 2016. However, I can’t help feeling that if plant-based foods were more accessible and affordable then it could have potentially saved my father and many people in a similar situation… ⠀⠀⠀
After I graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 2019, I wanted to solve the problem around food exclusion due to dietary restrictions. I started running vegan dinners for those in the Atlanta community that had intense food allergies or unique dietary restrictions which resulted in creating a unique space for individuals to eat together, feel safe, and network. These dinners were the launchpad for our company, Eat Unrestricted. Our flagship Creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce is soy-free, naturally gluten-free, nut-free, clean labeled, and delicious.
I have more than 5 years experience in the food startup ecosystem and am a lifelong cook and foodie. As a Georgia Tech engineering graduate, she combines her STEM background with her Vegan lifestyle and southern upbringing to create new delicious plant-based recipes.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Scaling in the Food Industry is still really difficult. Thin margins, manufacturing requirements, regulations, and fierce competition all come in the food entrepreneur starter pack. If these weren’t enough to scare away most enterprising individuals, our products abide to a strict mission of inclusivity. This means they have to be Top 8 Allergen Free and Clean Labeled, in addition to being plant-based. This makes it challenging to manufacture at scale and scale as the speed of some other startups.
Sure, it would be easy to make some sacrifices on the recipe in order to make our path to production much easier but it would go completely our goals for Eat Unrestricted. If fact, much of our customer feedback is based on finding out what other common dietary restrictions are out there for R and D on our future products.
It’s not easy but it’s important work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am Electrical Engineer by trade but has always had a love for cooking/baking. Since I was young, I wanted to explore opportunities to be both. After graduating in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from GA Tech, I knew that I wanted to make an impact in my community through food as well. After transitioning into a vegan diet in 2016 and veganizing my favorite cuisines, I noticed that a lot of people who were interested in incorporating more of a vegan diet struggled with the transition and started this company. I still work as an electrical engineering mostly in the software engineering space and I find that my problem-solving background comes in handy when making good food. Coming up with a good recipe is like coming up with a great algorithm with a touch of love and art.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Whether it’s for health, climate change, or animal rights, the case for plant-based gets stronger by the day. We envision a world where everyone, no matter their dietary restrictions, can eat in a way that makes them feel good about themselves inside and out, without sacrificing great taste or traditional recipes. As we know better, we will do better using amazing recipes that are inclusive, environmentally friendly, and amazing tasting.
Success is knowing that you’ve made someone’s life better because of something we took the initiative to create, manufacturing, and make available to the market. Success is knowing that we won’t give up and strive to be drivers of a fundamental culture change in how we view dietary inclusive cooking in our communities. Who knows how big we will grow, but success to us is less about the accomplishments and more about the meaning in our mission and what it represents…
Also, I’m doing what I love not because I have to but because I want to. Sounds like success to me.
Pricing:
- Online Store: The Better Cheddar *Dairy Free* (21oz)- 2 pack $27.99 || Flavors: Original, Garlic, Chipotle, Spicy
- Online Store: The Better Cheddar *Dairy Free* (18oz)- 2 pack $20.99 || Flavors: Original, Garlic, Chipotle, Spicy
- Farmers Market Prices – 21oz for $14 and 18oz for $10
- We are also available for purchase in Nuts ‘n Berries in Brookhaven and Decatur
- Our product can also be found The North Star Market in the LA Metro
Contact Info:
- Email: team@eatunrestricted.com
- Website: www.eatunrestricted.com
- Instagram: @eatunrestricted
- Facebook: @eatunrestricted
Image Credits
Dianna’s Plantbased Foods LLC
