Meet Atlanta’s food-centric startups
From boozy pints to home-delivered meals, our city has no shortage of homegrown culinary startups
One for the ages, Whynatte began back in 2004 as a morning-after hangover cure invented by some party-loving bros: an ice-cold shot of Jägermeister dropped into a piping hot latte. After building a brand around their DIY coffee cocktail, Whynatte’s creators developed the concept into a non-alcoholic canned java drink that makes for a rather versatile mixer. Today, you can find the virgin variety at Kroger or head to local bars like the Vortex or the Cheetah for custom Whynatte cocktails like the Whippet (Pinnacle whipped cream vodka and Whynatte) or the Dirty Bird (Bird Dog peppermint moonshine and Whynatte). www.whynatte.com.
Hand-Picked Atlanta by ScoutmobAt its inception, Atlanta-based coupon app Scoutmob was all about food, offering dining deals for 50 to 100 percent off at local restaurants. Unlike other similar apps such as Groupon or CrowdCut, Scoutmob required no payment up front for diners. In recent years, Scoutmob has shifted from a bona fide startup to an e-commerce service with a new business model similar to Etsy’s, emphasizing handcrafted goods such as bags, woodwork, and jewelry. Through Hand-Picked Atlanta (online and via the Scoutmob app), Atlantans can still take advantage of dining deals alongside a new selection of curated deals for food events and cooking classes at local restaurants like Inman Perk, Woody’s Cheesesteaks, Bottle Rocket, and Cinnaholic. www.handpickedatlanta.com.Frozen Pints and the Ice Cream BarEver get a hankering for dessert and booze at the same time? What started out with a spilled beer near an ice cream maker back in 2010 has turned into two successful products for a pair of young Atlanta entrepreneurs. When creators Ari Fleischer and Aly Moler realized ice cream was an ideal vessel for highlighting the flavors in craft brews, they began blending the two, creating flavors like hoppy Honey IPA, seasonal Pumpkin Ale, and rich Malted Milk Chocolate Stout. Later, they developed the Ice Cream Bar, a line of pints that doubles down on ABV by infusing ice cream with hard liquor. Try the vodka-laced White Russian or the rum-packed Mojito sorbet, available at package stores, hotels, and some Krogers throughout the metro area. www.frozenpints.com, www.theicecreambar.com.
Real Meal Delivery
Real Meal Delivery is a virtual restaurant offering same-day delivery of freshly cooked, chef-prepared meals. Georgia native Pat Pow-anpongkul got the idea for Real Meal Delivery from a concept he saw while working in Silicon Valley. Once he’d had his fill of valley culture, Pow-anpongkul brought the concept back home. Busy parents or uninspired health nuts can order meals online or through the iPhone app. Dishes can be as simple as meatloaf ($6) and Caesar salad ($3) or as adventurous as coq au vin and hanger steak ($7). In a world where delivery fees can make or break the decision to order in, Real Meal Delivery skips the extra consumer bucks by operating as a membership-only service. www.realmealdelivery.com.