Building a Meal Delivery Empire: Insights from Carlos Ventura Jr.
My guest on episode #475 of #thePOZcast is Carlos Ventura Jr, the CEO and founding partner of Feast & Fettle, a premium meal delivery company. The Boston Globe recognized them as one of New England’s fastest-growing private businesses. Since 2018, he has led the company’s growth from a neighborhood chef service to a vertically integrated hospitality brand on track to exceed $50 million in annual revenue.
Before founding Feast & Fettle, Carlos worked at Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Deliveroo. He serves on the board of College Visions, an organization supporting first-generation college students. In 2025, he was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year New England.
Learn more: Feast & Fettle - feastandfettle.com
Connect w/ Carlos @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosventuranyc/
#thePOZcast is proudly brought to you by Fountain - the leading enterprise platform for workforce management. Our platform enables companies to support their frontline workers from job application to departure. Fountain elevates the hiring, management, and retention of frontline workers at scale.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.fountain.com/?utm_source=shrm-2024&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=shrm-2024-podcast-adam-posner.
Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast
For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com
Takeaways
- Carlos's family background influenced his entrepreneurial spirit.
- Being the first in his family to attend college was a significant milestone.
- Internships helped Carlos realize what he didn't want in a career.
- Transitioning from finance to a startup environment was a pivotal moment.
- Quality and customer experience are central to Feast & Fettle's success.
- Vertical integration allows for better control over the customer experience.
- Smart growth is preferred over blitzscaling in business.
- Employee care is crucial for retention and company culture.
- Carlos aims to help others from non-traditional backgrounds succeed.
- Success is about giving back and creating opportunities for others.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Carl Svetter Jr. and Feast & Fettle
01:21 Early Influences and Family Background
04:37 Lessons from Family Business
06:39 The Journey to College and Its Significance
09:53 Navigating the Corporate World
11:55 Internship Insights and Realizations
13:49 Transitioning to Consulting and Growth
17:57 The Move to Deliveroo and Cultural Differences
22:41 The Spark of Entrepreneurship
31:24 Scaling and Strategic Expansion
38:30 Building a Purpose-Driven Company
41:54 Defining Hospitality and Leadership
45:47 Success and Giving Back
