Portland Pet Food Company

What Portland Pet Food Company does

Portland Pet Food Company, Inc. is a privately held, women-owned, family-operated pet food company founded in 2014 by Katie McCarron in Portland, Oregon. The company produces human-grade, gently cooked, shelf-stable wet meals and treats for dogs and cats, using retort pouch packaging technology that yields a 2-year shelf life for meals and 18-month shelf life for treats without preservatives. Its core product portfolio comprises six single-serve 9oz dog meal varieties (Rosie's Beef N' Rice, Wally's Salmon N' Rice, Winnie's Lamb N' Rice, Tuxedo's Chicken & Yams, Hopkins' Pork N' Potato, Grandma Ada's Turkey & Yams), two 2.6oz cat meal varieties (Boots' Salmon N' Pumpkin, Luke's Chicken N' Pumpkin) launched in 2022, plus Brew Biscuits made with upcycled brewery spent grains and a grain-and-gluten-free biscuit line.

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through portlandpetfoodcompany.com with a customizable subscription program (4/6/8-week delivery cycles, 25% first-order and 10% ongoing discounts, free shipping above $25), and wholesale distribution to 5,000+ retail stores across the United States and four international markets (Canada, Japan, China, South Korea) under APHIS/USDA export certification, with named anchors including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Petvalu, and Mudbay. Pricing sits in the premium tier (from $6.29 per 9oz dog meal pouch, $41.94 variety pack). Every batch undergoes third-party pathogen testing, formulations are crafted alongside a Vet Nutritionist and the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center, and all products are 100% USA-sourced and made in human-grade Portland kitchens.

The business is bootstrapped, with approximately $3.27M disclosed across three small funding rounds (2018, 2021, 2022), no parent company, and a small headcount of 11-50 employees. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company has earned recognition including the Inc. 5000 list (2025), Martha Stewart Editor's Pick (2024), Pet Sustainability Coalition Top Performer (2023-2024) and Top 20 Sustainable Pet Food Company (2020-2021), and PetAge Woman of Influence for founder Katie McCarron (2021).

Name

Portland Pet Food Company

Legal name

Portland Pet Food Company, Inc.

Website

https://portlandpetfoodcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Portland Pet Food Company is a women-owned, family-operated Portland, Oregon company that makes human-grade, shelf-stable wet meals and treats for dogs and cats in retort pouches, sold direct-to-consumer via subscription and wholesale through 5,000+ retail stores across four countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Natural Pet Food

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wet/Canned & Pouch Food (Dog & Cat) (CRADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF), Natural/Organic & Limited-Ingredient Diets (CRADAFAH)

Keywords

• Shelf-stable pet food
• Human-grade dog food
• Natural pet treats
• Upcycled dog biscuits
• Wet cat food

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: One-time purchases and subscription orders through portlandpetfoodcompany.com. Subscriptions offer 25% off first order and 10% off all future orders, delivered every 4, 6, or 8 weeks.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Products sold through 5,000+ retail stores including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Petvalu, and Mudbay. Also exports to Canada, Japan, China, and S. Korea.
3. Donation-based Revenue Sharing: Company donates a portion of net profits to non-profit animal shelters and programs. This is not direct revenue but supports the business model by building brand loyalty and community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portland Pet Food Company manufactures and sells human-grade, shelf-stable wet dog and cat meals in 9oz and 2.6oz retort pouches, plus natural dog biscuits including upcycled Brew Biscuits (made with spent brewery grains) and Grain & Gluten-Free Biscuits. The company sells direct-to-consumer through its website and subscription service, and wholesales through 5,000+ retail stores across the US, Canada, Japan, China, and South Korea. All products are 100% USA sourced and made, gently cooked, preservative-free, AAFCO-compliant, and verified through third-party pathogen testing.

Product overview

Portland Pet Food Company offers human-grade, shelf-stable wet dog and cat food, along with grain-free and gluten-free dog biscuits. The core product portfolio consists of Homestyle Dog Meals in six named varieties (Rosie's Beef N' Rice, Wally's Salmon N' Rice, Winnie's Lamb N' Rice, Tuxedo's Chicken & Yams, Hopkins' Pork N' Potato, Grandma Ada's Turkey & Yams) sold as individual 9oz retort pouches or in variety packs, paired with Dog Treats including Brew Biscuits (made with repurposed brewery grains) and Grain & Gluten-Free Biscuits. The company expanded in 2022 to include Cat Meals (Boots' Salmon N' Pumpkin, Luke's Chicken N' Pumpkin) in 2.6oz pouches with variety packs available. Supporting services include a subscription program with customizable delivery schedules and a TerraCycle recycling partnership. All products are 100% USA sourced and made, gently cooked, and free from preservatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Named Recipe Dog Meals Single-serve 9oz human-grade dog meal retort pouches made with USA-sourced ingredients. Available in six named varieties: Rosie's Beef N' Rice, Wally's Salmon N' Rice, Winnie's Lamb N' Rice, Tuxedo's Chicken & Yams, Hopkins' Pork N' Potato, and Grandma Ada's Turkey & Yams. Served as a complete meal, mixer, or topper.
• Dog Meal Variety Pack Variety pack containing one of each of the six named dog meal recipes ($41.94), allowing pet owners to discover which recipes their dog prefers across diverse proteins and textures.
• Dog Variety Meal & Treat Pack Bundle containing all six named dog meal recipes plus two bags of Grain & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Biscuits ($59.94), combining complete meals with the brand's signature treats.
• Brew Biscuits Twice-baked dog biscuits made with upcycled spent grains sourced from Portland breweries (HopWorks Urban Brewery, Westward Whiskey), diverting 13,000 pounds of spent barley from landfills in 2024. Available in Bacon, Beef Broth, and Pumpkin flavors. Contains no alcohol or hops; light crunchy texture ($8.99 per 5oz).
• Grain & Gluten-Free Biscuits Grain and gluten-free dog biscuits made with garbanzo bean flour and organic Northwest-grown ingredients, baked in Portland. Available in Apple & Mint, Bacon, Gingerbread, and Pumpkin flavors for dogs with grain sensitivities.
• Brew Biscuit Pack Bundle containing all three Brew Biscuit varieties (Bacon, Beef Broth, Pumpkin) sold at a 7% discount versus individual purchase.
• Grain & Gluten-Free Biscuit Pack Bundle containing all four Grain & Gluten-Free Biscuit varieties (Apple & Mint, Bacon, Gingerbread, Pumpkin) sold at a 7% discount versus individual purchase ($27.99).
• Cat Meals Hydrating wet cat food in 2.6oz retort pouches with natural taurine. Available in Boots' Salmon N' Pumpkin and Luke's Chicken N' Pumpkin varieties, designed as topper, mixer, or rotational diet for adult and senior cats ($10.76 per 4-pack).
• Cat Meal Variety Pack (12 Pouches) Variety pack containing 6 pouches each of Boots' Salmon N' Pumpkin and Luke's Chicken N' Pumpkin cat meals for a total of 12 pouches ($35.88).
• Build a Subscription Service Customizable subscription service for regular home delivery of meals and treats every 4, 6, or 8 weeks, with the ability to edit, pause, skip, or cancel anytime. Offers 25% off the first order and 10% off all future orders, with free shipping on subscription orders $25+.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000 pounds of spent barley grains diverted from landfills in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Portland BreweriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local Portland breweries to source spent grains for upcycled Brew Biscuits. Diverted 13,000 pounds of spent barley grains from landfills in 2024. Includes HopWorks Urban Brewery and Westward Whiskey as named partners.
• Bob's Red MillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Portland, Oregon company since 1978 providing high-quality flour. Supplies rye flour for Brew Biscuits and garbanzo bean flour for gluten-free biscuits. Long-term ingredient partnership.
• SP Provisions / Cascade FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat supplier since 1880, providing quality meats to Portland's top restaurants. Sole supplier of quality meats for PPFC products. Cascade Farms brand described as 'finest handcrafted, natural meats from a select team of local growers.'
• Carlton FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm providing responsibly raised meats for PPFC products. Example of company's commitment to local sourcing.
• Willamette Valley QuinoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm providing all-natural white quinoa, hand-delivered to PPFC. Used in Tuxedo's Chicken & Yams recipe.
• Stahlbush FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm providing responsibly raised vegetables for PPFC products. Part of company's commitment to local ingredient sourcing.
• TerraCycleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand-sponsored TerraCycle recycling program for pet food packaging. Part of company's sustainability initiatives to address packaging waste.
• HopWorks Urban BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of spent grains for Brew Biscuits. Local Portland brewery known for sustainable practices.
• Westward WhiskeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of spent grains for limited-batch Malt Brew Biscuits. Portland distillery crafting American Single Malt whiskey.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JustFoodForDogs: Fresh, refrigerated human-grade dog food brand with both DTC and veterinary clinic channels. Comparable target market and ingredient quality, but a fundamentally different delivery format (refrigerated fresh vs shelf-stable retort).
• The Farmer's Dog: DTC-fresh human-grade dog food brand with very strong venture funding (hundreds of millions raised). Targets the same human-grade, fresh-cooked positioning as PPFC but requires cold-chain logistics, so does not directly compete in the shelf-stable format. Represents the broader premium human-grade trend PPFC operates within.
• Wellness Pet Company: Large-scale premium natural pet food brand (owned by WellPet) offering wet food, dry food, and treats across dog and cat. Competitor for the same retail shelf space as PPFC at Whole Foods and pet specialty, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader portfolio and mass-market reach.
• Castor & Pollux (Organix): Premium organic and natural pet food brand under the Organix line owned by Post Consumer Brands. Overlaps with PPFC on natural/organic positioning and shelf-stable wet food, but operates with much broader distribution and mass-premium product range.

Emerging players

• PetPlate: DTC fresh dog food subscription brand offering gently cooked meals. Comparable human-grade, gently cooked positioning to PPFC, though smaller in scale and operates via refrigerated direct-to-consumer model only.
• Spot & Tango: DTC fresh dog food subscription brand offering fresh, human-grade meals with vet-formulated recipes. Comparable fresh, human-grade, vet-formulated positioning; competes for the same premium pet parent customer as PPFC despite different format.

Direct peers

• Open Farm: Premium natural pet food brand offering wet food, dry food, and treats with strong sustainability and ethical-sourcing credentials. Closely comparable to PPFC's human-grade, ethically sourced positioning and sustainability narrative, though broader product portfolio and larger DTC presence.
• Primal Pet Foods: Premium raw and freeze-dried pet food maker with a comparable shelf-stable, minimally processed product line for dogs and cats. Similar positioning around natural, human-grade ingredients and limited-ingredient recipes, with broader SKU breadth.
• Stella & Chewy's: Premium pet food brand offering shelf-stable raw and freeze-dried dog and cat food, including wet paté products. Highly comparable to PPFC in premium natural positioning, shelf-stable format, and dog+cat portfolio, though Stella & Chewy's uses freeze-drying rather than retort.

Regional players

• Evanger's Dog & Cat Food: Family-owned US pet food manufacturer producing shelf-stable canned wet foods, including limited-ingredient and natural recipes. Comparable as a smaller, family-run US shelf-stable pet food manufacturer, though Evanger's portfolio skews more traditional and broader-line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PortlandPetFood
• Facebookfacebook.com/PortlandPetFood
• Instagraminstagram.com/portlandpetfood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portland-pet-food-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portland Pet Food Company