Smearcase
Sponsored by Hummingbirds
In a recent episode, I talked with Joe Rotondo, Founder & CEO of Smearcase, shared the story behind launching FroCo—the world’s first frozen cottage cheese dessert. The idea was born during marathon training when Joe couldn't find a high-protein ice cream option. This led him to experiment with cottage cheese and eventually developing a product that offers 40 grams of protein per pint.
Smearcase quickly scaled from a kitchen experiment to being stocked in over 100 stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts, within a year. The brand's name, "Smearcase," is derived from the German word "schmierkäse," meaning cottage cheese, reflecting its roots and mission to redefine healthy indulgence.
This is a great episode for an emerging brand founder (especially in frozen)!
Inside the episode
The Origin Story: How a post-run craving during marathon training sparked the idea for a high-protein frozen treat made with cottage cheese
From Kitchen to Shelves: The rapid journey of Smearcase—from homemade experiments to landing in 100+ stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts, in under a year
Retail Breakthrough: The tradeshow that catapulted Smearcase into retail distribution
Advice for Founders: Joe’s unfiltered insights for emerging CPG founders—especially those navigating the complexities of launching a frozen product
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Meet the founder
Joe Rotondo, Founder & CEO of Smearcase, shared the story behind launching FroCo—the world’s first frozen cottage cheese dessert. The idea was born during marathon training when Joe couldn't find a high-protein ice cream option. This led him to experiment with cottage cheese and eventually developing a product that offers 40 grams of protein per pint.
shop the brand
The world’s first frozen cottage cheese dessert. Find stores!
This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds is a platform that connects everyday, smaller creators with brands to share in-store user-generated content, drive brand awareness in specific retailers, and capture competitive market share. They’re an awesome platform that I recommend to all my clients that you should absolutely check out. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details.
