Funky Contemporary closing Sherman Phoenix restaurant, eyes nationwide distribution

This Saturday, on the 10-year anniversary of the creation of Funky Contemporary Spring Rolls, founder TrueMan McGee shall be marking one other main milestone for the corporate.

He introduced earlier this week the closure of the Funky Contemporary Spring Rolls restaurant inside the Sherman Phoenix Market in Milwaukee as the corporate goes all in on increasing its wholesale partnerships.

“I imagine that Funky Contemporary will be the following huge factor in grocery shops and now we’ve the chance to try this,” stated McGee. “I’m placing all my power into turning into a nationwide model.”

Funky Contemporary is at the moment transitioning out of its house within the Sherman Phoenix and this week would be the final time the corporate serves sizzling meals.

“The Sherman Phoenix did precisely what the Sherman Phoenix was speculated to do. It’s supposed to assist companies develop after which they go,” stated McGee.

His firm’s progress inside the final 12 months, significantly the frozen merchandise, helped drive the choice to maneuver on.

“This has been one thing that’s been on my thoughts for some time. My plan in life was all the time to be a frozen meals producer. Opening a restaurant was really by no means in my long-term plans,” stated McGee.

McGee based Funky Contemporary in 2013, after he had been laid off in 2012 from his job as a building employee. He grew to become extraordinarily well being aware and whereas working as private coach, started growing wholesome however good-tasting meals for himself and his shoppers. He made spring rolls, beginning with a black bean and candy potato selection.

At first of 2022, Milwaukee-based frozen pizza producer Palermo Villa, Inc. acquired a majority stake in Funky Contemporary Spring Rolls. The deal was made so Palermo’s might assist the corporate broaden distribution.

As soon as the Palermo’s acquisition passed off, McGee noticed it as an indication to maneuver again towards his unique imaginative and prescient of frozen meals manufacturing.

At this 12 months’s BizTimes Media M&A Discussion board, held in April, McGee and Palermo’s management shared their imaginative and prescient for persevering with to develop the Funky Contemporary model. Proper now, Funky Contemporary merchandise are in about 150 shops.

McGee stated there are a number of conversations within the works with nationwide retailers however was not capable of share names right now.

“We need to be one of many subsequent huge corporations to return out of Wisconsin like Johnsonville or Sargento,” stated McGee. “Within the subsequent 12 months I’d prefer to be a nationwide model.”