Chloe Epstein, cofounder and president of Chloe’s, a leading innovator of non- dairy frozen … [+]
The wellness movement gained momentum in the 1980s, sparking consumers to become more conscious of what they eat and their daily exercise routines. For over 20 years, the wellness industry expanded, including government-issued programs to assist people in taking health seriously. Fast forward to the 2010s, health and wellness are now standard terms that society associates with a positive lifestyle. Awareness about the types of food being processed and consumed has increased exponentially, especially in the organic and plant-based sectors of the food and beverage industry. The health and wellness global market is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2027, and according to Global Market Research Company, Ipsos, there are currently over 9.7 million American vegans. As the number of vegan consumers increases, brands are pivoting to adapt to the market.
Chloe Epstein, cofounder and president of Chloe’s, the frozen treats brand, saw a gap in the market and created a treat that was healthy for both parents and children. In 2014, her company became one of the fastest-growing frozen novelty brands in the United States. Currently, the frozen pops are distributed in more than 10,000 stores nationwide, including Publix, WholeFoods, Sam’s Club and Costco. In early 2020, the brand launched Chloe’s Oatmilk Pops—the first oat milk pops on the market. To date, they have raised over $10 million in equity capital.
“When I started to think about having kids and what was next,” Epstein shares, “I was very focused on what I was eating. At that time, the healthy space was filled with low-calorie, low-fat products that relied on artificial ingredients. So when I was thinking about getting pregnant and just motherhood in general, it made me question those foods and the foods I deemed healthy. I wanted to start eliminating the artificial stuff. The first place I focused on was frozen treats because I was a froyo addict, and I wanted to kick that habit. That’s where the idea for Chloe’s was born. I wanted a frozen treat that satisfied my frozen treat craving, without all the artificial stuff.”
Epstein started her career journey in theater. After a year, she decided to attend law school, where she was involved with the Innocence Project. That experience made her curious about the criminal justice system. First, she interned at the district attorney’s office before being promoted to assistant district attorney.
Chloe Epstein, who initially started Chloe’s with its Soft Serve Fruit offerings before entering the … [+]
She thought about having kids and delved into healthy food research during this time. Her husband’s best friend, Michael Sloan, also a health advocate, joined Epstein in her journey to create a no-additives frozen treat. Through experimentation in their kitchen and advice from a food scientist, the two cofounders opened a soft-served fruit shop in 2010. In a four-year period, they turned their concoctions into frozen pops that are sold in grocery stores.
“The bigger vision I had for the business was to make these types of treats more available to kids in camps or schools,” Epstein states. “Having young kids and seeing ice cream trucks all over New York City and seeing the junk that they served at camp, I was focused on making this alternative accessible in those spaces. The plan was the soft-served, and at one point, I wanted to do something different. So we decided just to experiment and put our soft-serve in a pop mold. We left the leftover pops that we made in the freezer in our store, and Asphalt Green’s camp came in and ordered 5,000 of them. We were like, ‘oh, okay, I think we may be in the business.’”
By 2015, Chloe’s was on the shelves of major food chains with products made strictly of fruit, water and a little cane sugar; they even had a pop truck for summer beachgoers in Montauk. In 2017, the company was chosen to be a part of the second cohort of the Chobani Food Incubator. Selected as a leading brand to disrupt, innovate and inspire a multi-billion-dollar category, Chloe’s continues to collaborate with Chobani and other category-changing brands from the Incubator.
Initially, the cofounders bootstrapped their business. As they transitioned into consumer packaged goods, they leveraged the brand and brought in strategic investors, including Tony Owen of Dom Capital.
WATER MILL, NY – JULY 23: Chloe Epstein (L) and Samantha Yanks attend Hamptons Magazine Ladies … [+]
As Epstein continues to expand Chloe’s and pivot in her leadership, she focuses on the following essential steps:
“If you had told me then [while at the DA’s office] that I would start my own business, I would have laughed,” Epstein concludes. “I was not an entrepreneur; by nature, I’m not a risk taker. I like having a plan. And obviously, being an entrepreneur is the complete opposite. You have to be willing to say no when something isn’t working out and keep going.”
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