Think Jerky
Think Jerky is a privately held, direct-to-consumer specialty food brand selling chef-crafted beef and turkey jerky and jerky sticks via its e-commerce site, subscriptions, and retailers including Costco, REI, and United Airlines, serving health-conscious snack consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Think Jerky does
Think Jerky is a privately held, direct-to-consumer specialty food company that sells chef-crafted beef and turkey jerky in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2016 by Ricky Hirsch after he observed that mainstream jerky products contained excessive sugar, the company built its positioning around clean-label ingredients (100% grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, no hormones, antibiotics, gluten, or nitrites) and celebrity chef co-development, with recipes credited to Michelin-Star and James Beard Award winners including Andrew Zimmern, Gale Gand, Doug Sohn, and Matt Troost.
The product portfolio spans two formats — traditional bagged jerky (Classic Beef, Sesame Teriyaki, Sriracha Honey Turkey, Sweet Chipotle, plus a Variety Pack) and jerky sticks in 1oz and 0.5oz sizes (Original Beef, Original Turkey, Jalapeño Beef, Thanksgiving Turkey, Philly Cheesesteak, plus a Variety Pack Sticks) — distributed via the thinkjerky.com storefront under both one-time purchase and a 10%-discount subscribe-and-save subscription model, with free shipping on orders over $30.
The company operates as Think Jerky, LLC with a mailing address in Austin, Texas and a reported Chicago city presence, between 1 and 10 employees, and no disclosed institutional funding. Distribution extends beyond DTC into physical retail (Costco, REI, gas stations) and travel (United Airlines in-flight), supported by a wholesale program and editorial validation from SELF Magazine, Men's Health, and Eat This, Not That!. The company maintains a charitable partnership with the David Lynch Foundation, donating a percentage of profits to meditation programs for veterans with PTSD.
Think Jerky firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Think Jerky
- Legal name
- Think Jerky, LLC.
- Website
- https://thinkjerky.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Think Jerky is a privately held, direct-to-consumer specialty food brand selling chef-crafted beef and turkey jerky and jerky sticks via its e-commerce site, subscriptions, and retailers including Costco, REI, and United Airlines, serving health-conscious snack consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Think Jerky industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Jerky Snacks
- NAICS
- Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Jerky & Meat Snacks (CRADABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified) (CRADABAM), Jerky & Meat Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAH), Shelf-Stable Processed Meats (Canned, Retort Pouches, Jerky/Meat Snacks) (AFANAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Think Jerky is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Think Jerky business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product purchases through thinkjerky.com, covering both individual items (jerky bags and sticks) and variety packs at published retail prices.
- Subscription / Recurring Sales: Subscribe-and-save model offering 10% discount on recurring deliveries with configurable frequency (monthly, every other month, every 3 months). Drives predictable recurring revenue and customer LTV.
- Retail / Wholesale Distribution: Products sold through third-party retail partners including Costco, REI, gas stations, and United Airlines. Wholesale orders facilitated via [email protected].
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Jerky & Stick pricing — one-time purchase |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscribe & Save — 10% recurring discount |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Wholesale / B2B pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Think Jerky product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Think Jerky manufactures and sells chef-crafted premium beef and turkey jerky products in two formats: loose-cut jerky bags and portable jerky sticks. Each flavor is developed by a celebrity chef (Michelin-Star and James Beard Award winners including Gale Gand, Doug Sohn, Matt Troost, and Andrew Zimmern) using 100% grass-fed beef and free-range turkey with no added hormones, antibiotics, gluten, or nitrites. The portfolio is sold direct-to-consumer via thinkjerky.com (with subscriptions), through retail partners (Costco, REI, gas stations), and onboard United Airlines.
Product overview
Think Jerky is a direct-to-consumer specialty food company offering chef-crafted beef and turkey jerky products. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: traditional jerky (loose-cut pieces) and jerky sticks. Jerky products include Classic Beef, Sesame Teriyaki Beef, Sriracha Honey Turkey, and Sweet Chipotle Beef flavors, available in 1oz 8-packs or 2.2oz 4-packs. Jerky sticks are available in Original Beef, Original Turkey, Jalapeño Beef, and Thanksgiving Turkey varieties in 1oz 20-packs, plus corresponding mini versions in 0.5oz 20-packs. All products are crafted by celebrity chefs including Michelin-Star winners and James Beard Award winners. The company also offers variety packs for sampling multiple flavors. Products feature clean ingredient profiles with 100% grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, and no added hormones, antibiotics, gluten, or nitrites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Classic Beef Jerky Classic beef jerky made with 100% grass-fed beef, crafted by Chef Doug Sohn. Sold in 1oz 8-pack or 2.2oz 4-pack sizes.
- Sesame Teriyaki Beef Jerky Grass-fed beef jerky with sesame, tamari, ginger, and spices. Recipe by Michelin-Star Chef Gale Gand. Sold in 1oz 8-pack or 2.2oz 4-pack.
- Sriracha Honey Turkey Jerky
Quantifiable outcome
- 46 reviews, 4.9 stars on Sriracha Honey Turkey Jerky; 58 reviews, 4.9 stars on Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky; 53 reviews, 5.0 stars on Variety Pack — indicating high customer satisfaction.
Companies that use Think Jerky
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Think Jerky technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Think Jerky partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- David Lynch FoundationcoreThink Jerky partners with the David Lynch Foundation, donating a percentage of all profits to support teaching veterans with PTSD how to meditate to heal themselves naturally. This charitable partnership aligns with the brand's 'Think Healthy' and 'Think Forward' pillars and provides differentiation through social impact.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Think Jerky competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chomps: Direct DTC competitor in the clean-label meat stick category, also targeting keto/paleo consumers with grass-fed beef and free-range turkey sticks sold online, in subscription, and at major retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Costco.
- KRAVE Jerky: Premium, better-for-you beef jerky brand positioned in the same chef-influenced, clean-label lane as Think Jerky; competes for identical shelf space at Costco, Whole Foods, and natural food retailers, and runs a similar DTC subscription model.
- Country Archer Provisions: Premium jerky and meat stick brand built around grass-fed beef, no MSG/nitrites, and high-protein positioning — overlapping with Think Jerky on core claims, target consumer (keto/paleo), and retail channels including Costco and natural grocery.
- The New Primal: Clean-ingredient meat sticks and jerky (grass-fed beef, free-range turkey) sold DTC and at Whole Foods/Sprouts/Costco with a strong better-for-you positioning that directly parallels Think Jerky's value proposition.
- Perky Jerky: Premium jerky brand marketed as a healthier, lower-sugar alternative to mass-market jerky, distributed through DTC, convenience, and grocery — a comparable positioning play in the same category.
- Wild Bill's Beef Jerky: Small-batch, premium beef jerky brand with broad flavor range sold through DTC, grocery, and gas stations — comparable in SKU structure, channel mix, and price-point architecture to Think Jerky.
Broad incumbents
- Jack Link's: Largest mass-market jerky brand globally (owned by Link Snacks/Madison Dearborn); sets category price points, dominates C-store and grocery shelf space, and competes with Think Jerky on the same fixtures where retailers decide between mass and premium placement.
- Tillamook Country Smoker: Established mainstream beef jerky brand distributed heavily through Costco, convenience, and grocery — a direct competitor for premium jerky shelf space and shelf-set positioning.
- People's Choice Beef Jerky: Long-standing specialty jerky brand with broad grocery and travel-channel distribution; overlaps with Think Jerky on product format and premium-ish positioning, with greater scale.
Emerging players
- Paleovalley: Paleo-positioned snack brand (grass-fed beef sticks, chips) sold DTC and in natural retail; comparable to Think Jerky on target diet (paleo/keto), clean ingredient story, and subscription-led GTM.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Think Jerky social profiles
Digital presenceThink Jerky financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Think Jerky leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Think Jerky funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Think Jerky M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Think Jerky
What does Think Jerky do?
Think Jerky manufactures and sells chef-crafted premium beef and turkey jerky products in two formats: loose-cut jerky bags and portable jerky sticks. Each flavor is developed by a celebrity chef (Michelin-Star and James Beard Award winners including Gale Gand, Doug Sohn, Matt Troost, and Andrew Zimmern) using 100% grass-fed beef and free-range turkey with no added hormones, antibiotics, gluten, or nitrites. The portfolio is sold direct-to-consumer via thinkjerky.com (with subscriptions), through retail partners (Costco, REI, gas stations), and onboard United Airlines.
Is Think Jerky a public or private company?
Think Jerky is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Think Jerky founded?
Think Jerky was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Think Jerky based?
Think Jerky is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Think Jerky make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription / Recurring Sales and retail / Wholesale Distribution.
Who are Think Jerky's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chomps, KRAVE Jerky, Country Archer Provisions, The New Primal, Perky Jerky and Wild Bill's Beef Jerky. Broad incumbents are Jack Link's, Tillamook Country Smoker and People's Choice Beef Jerky. Paleovalley is listed as an emerging player.
Does Think Jerky have an API?
No public API is recorded for Think Jerky.
What industry is Think Jerky in?
Think Jerky's product category is Premium Jerky Snacks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAK, Jerky & Meat Snacks, with a secondary code of CRADABAM, Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified). Its NAICS code is 424470 and its SIC code is 2013.