The Santa Cruz Effect: Unpacking MealPro’s Rise from Local Event to National Brand

It all started…

“It all started in 2017 at the Santa Cruz New Tech event,” recounts Andy Satori, the founder of MealPro.

Captivated by Andy’s pitch, Jondi Gumz, a journalist from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, penned an article that marked a turning point, laying the groundwork for MealPro’s initial audience and launch.

Andy also attributes the breakthrough in MealPro's web presence and search engine prominence, particularly for niche keywords, to that speaking slot and the subsequent press coverage. This exposure was key to drawing in customers. Subsequently, Andy honed in on refining the website's conversion rate, significantly boosting ecommerce sales and rounding out the customer acquisition process. This strategy spanned the stages of acquisition, conversion, retention, and referral, with the event kickstarting the awareness phase.

Eating with a Purpose

MealPro has since emerged as the national leader in custom meal delivery, carving out a speciality in crafting meals tailored for fitness enthusiasts or individuals managing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and renal disease, under the philosophy of "eating with a purpose."

"As a UC Santa Cruz alum (2017 Economics), my affinity for Santa Cruz’s healthy life styles runs deep, Highway 17 notwithstanding," Andy shares. From the outset, MealPro was financially viable, and after three years of sustained profitability, new opportunities arose. The operation eventually moved to Sacramento, where Andy invested $3.2M in a 18,209 square foot commercial kitchen and later an office building valued at $1.8 million.