Paying it Forward With TaDah Foods

In this brand story, we’re shining a spotlight on TaDah Foods, an Instacart CPG brand partner and participant in the Instacart Ads Initiative, our $2 million commitment to amplify historically underrepresented brands. 

For TaDah Foods Founder John Sorial, a quick falafel snack break became an “aha” moment that shaped the direction of his company. Today, TaDah Foods has grown into a fan-favorite line of plant-based falafel products available in retailers across the country. 

The brand focuses on delighting people with quality ingredients and incredible flavors they might not expect from better-for-you, plant-based foods. 

“In most of the world, what’s locally available and affordable has always been plant-based. Communities around the globe have spent centuries developing unique plant-based dishes that provide full nutrients and incredible flavor,” says John. “I’m inspired by the North African and Ethiopian dishes I grew up eating. I’m just making those recipes a little more modern, approachable and convenient for busy people and families.”

Consumer interest in plant-based products and diverse cuisine influences has been accelerating for the last several years. John would like to see that interest reflected more directly on grocery store shelves in the future. 

Flavor aside, at the center of the TaDah Foods brand is investment in global social change. Over 25% of the company’s profits go to organizations actively engaged in social change, enabling nonprofits to spend more time operating their valuable core programs than fundraising. 

Committing such a significant portion of the company to nonprofit organizations is a North Star for John and his team to stay focused, particularly as they navigate industry challenges like rising ingredient costs and supply chain issues. 

John’s advice for anyone pursuing a career or starting a business in the food industry is to build strong partnerships, a lesson he learned early on while working in his family’s deli. “My mom is one of my biggest inspirations,” he says. “She turned a job mopping floors in a restaurant into her own deli and eatery business in Queens. She taught me not only the importance of quality ingredients and putting love into your work, but also how to make shrewd business decisions and form strong relationships with partners.”   

“We’ve had a lot of great retail partners,” John says, “and partners like Instacart that show faith in small brands like ours — that are punching above our weight in the marketplace — are approaching things differently than larger incumbent brands.”

As shopping behavior continues to shift, TaDah Foods has leveraged Instacart Ads to connect with consumers and drive visibility on the digital shelf. “As a smaller company without access to the same kind of capital as major CPGs, we don’t have millions to spend on ad campaigns,” says John. “Instacart’s Ads Initiative unlocks the ability to run digital ads, test and learn on the platform, and connect with support resources.”

As TaDah continues to grow, the current business environment challenges the company’s commitment to social impact work. But with younger generations of consumers demanding transparency and consideration for community wellbeing from the companies they support, John believes paying it forward is good business. “My hope is that the food and CPG industry is going to evolve to prioritize funding social change in a meaningful way,” says John. 

Learn more about TaDah Foods here, and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram. If your brand is eligible for the Instacart Ads Initiative, visit ads.instacart.com to sign up and learn more. You can read more about the Initiative and its recent expansion here!

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Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.