Woofbowl Built a Food Truck Just for Dogs. Honest Tea's Seth Goldman Has Experience Driving Growth

The co-founder of seven-time Inc. 5000 company Honest Tea helps Ron Holloway, co-founder of healthy dog treat brand Woofbowl, grow his company on wheels into a brand with staying power.

- Kevin J. Ryan

WHEN NAVY VETERAN Ron Holloway was diagnosed with PTSD after he'd served two tours in Iraq, a counselor recommended a therapy pet. Holloway brought home a French bulldog, which he named Latto, but soon noticed that his furry friend was sluggish and having digestive issues. As an experiment, Holloway's wife, Solo, an electrical and biochemical engineer, started serving Latto fresh food she made herself. Almost immediately, Latto had noticeably higher energy and no more digestive problems. He even started shedding less.

"He was like a whole new dog," Holloway says. "That led us to ask, 'How can we teach what we've learned?""

In 2017, the Holloways launched another experiment in canine nutrition: a food truck for dogs. Today, Brooklyn-based Woofbowl makes all-natural dog treats cooked from scratch and served fresh, mostly at street fairs, private bookings, and corporate events. The meals are made to look like human foods-tacos and cheeseburgers-and come in packaging that is mostly compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable.

While the Holloways have acquired a second French bulldog, Dino, to keep Latto company, they've learned that acquiring new customers is much more difficult. That's where serial entrepreneur Seth Goldman comes in. The co-founder of seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree Honest Tea, which he sold to Coca-Cola in 2011, Goldman has plenty of experience bringing healthier, more sustainable ingredients to the masses. Seven years after joining the board of plant-based-meat brand Beyond Meat in 2013, he co-founded the vegan fast-casual chain PLNT Burger and the nutritious snack company Eat the Change. The latter created a sister program in 2020 that makes annual donations to nonprofits that promote climate-friendly eating.

"We're able to create planet-friendly foods that are better for the consumer, but without the same level of fear that we had when we were first starting, 25 years ago," Goldman says.