Old Capitol Food Co.
Old Capitol Food Co. is a privately held Iowa City, Iowa natural foods producer that makes traditional tofu from non-GMO organic Iowa-grown soybeans, selling to Midwest universities, food co-ops, Hy-Vees, and restaurants under the Old Capitol Tofu and Mayu brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersIowa City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Old Capitol Food Co. does
Old Capitol Food Co. is a privately held, founder-owned natural foods producer founded in 2014 in Iowa City, Iowa, by co-founders Jake Gratzon and Matthew Mesaros. The company manufactures traditional tofu from 100% non-GMO organic soybeans sourced from Iowa growers, operating from a single production facility at 2319 Heinz Rd., Iowa City. Its product portfolio centers on Old Capitol Tofu in two textures (Firmer and Firmest) and a branded condiment line called Mayu, a dip and dressing built around apple cider vinegar and mustard. The founders' stated focus is on mastering traditional tofu-making techniques and embedding environmental sustainability into the supply chain, with stated future plans for flavored tofu and additional local SKUs.
The company sells through a hybrid B2B/B2C go-to-market model. Its institutional channel serves Iowa colleges including the University of Iowa, Grinnell College, and Cornell College, while retail distribution flows through food co-ops (notably New Pioneer Food Co-op), Hy-Vees, and other grocery stores, with secondary supply to restaurants and food-service operators. A 'Tofu Tracker' zip-based locator covers radii up to 300 miles, and a 'Tofu Academy' recipe platform, featuring contributions from the founders and community authors, drives content-led consumer engagement. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and 1-10 employees, operating with a small regional Midwest footprint.
Old Capitol Food Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Old Capitol Food Co.
- Legal name
- Old Capitol Food Co.
- Website
- https://oldcapfood.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Old Capitol Food Co. is a privately held Iowa City, Iowa natural foods producer that makes traditional tofu from non-GMO organic Iowa-grown soybeans, selling to Midwest universities, food co-ops, Hy-Vees, and restaurants under the Old Capitol Tofu and Mayu brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Old Capitol Food Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Tofu Production
- NAICS
- Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tofu, Tempeh & Traditional Soy Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAD)
Keywords
Where Old Capitol Food Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Iowa City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Old Capitol Food Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tofu and food product sales: Direct sales of tofu products and condiments like Mayu dressing to institutions, grocery stores, restaurants, and food co-ops. Products include firm and firmest tofu in various cuts, as well as the Mayu dip and dressing line.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Old Capitol Food Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Old Capitol Food Co. manufactures traditional tofu and a Mayu dip & dressing line using 100% non-GMO organic Iowa-grown soybeans at its Iowa City production facility. Products include firm and firmest tofu varieties and the Mayu condiment, sold through institutional dining, food co-ops, grocery stores, and restaurants across the Iowa/Midwest region.
Product overview
Old Capitol Food Co. is a natural foods company specializing in tofu and related food products. Their core product portfolio consists of traditional tofu (available in Firmer and Firmest varieties) made from 100% non-gmo organic Iowa-grown soybeans, and Mayu, a dip and dressing product. The company operates from Iowa City, Iowa, and has been producing tofu since 2014, with plans for flavored tofu and more local products in the future.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mayu: Mayu is a dip and dressing product line sold under the Old Capitol Food Co. brand, including Mayu Coleslaw, Mayu Macaroni Salad, and Mayu Egg Salad.
Companies that use Old Capitol Food Co.
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Old Capitol Food Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Old Capitol Food Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Old Capitol Food Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- SoyBoy: Organic, non-GMO tofu and tofu-based products producer. Highly comparable to Old Capitol on the organic/non-GMO positioning and natural foods channel, though SoyBoy is more established on the West Coast.
- Wildwood: Organic tofu and plant-based brand (Hain Celestial). Overlaps with Old Capitol on organic, non-GMO positioning and natural foods distribution, though at meaningfully greater scale.
- Oasis Tradelinks: Tofu and plant-based products supplier focused on natural and ethnic retail channels. Comparable to Old Capitol in the natural foods co-op and grocery channel but with broader SKU coverage.
- Twin Oaks Community Tofu: Community-scale tofu manufacturer selling organic tofu in natural food co-ops. Direct analog to Old Capitol in co-op distribution, organic positioning, and small-batch craft production.
Direct peers
- Franklin Farms: Tofu and plant-based protein producer selling into retail and foodservice. Comparable in product mix and channel strategy to Old Capitol but operating at larger national scale.
- Hodo Foods: Artisan tofu and plant-based producer (yuba, tofu, burgers). Closely comparable to Old Capitol in craft-style tofu manufacturing and foodservice/retail go-to-market, though California-based.
Broad incumbents
- House Foods: One of the largest U.S. tofu manufacturers (House Foods / House Tofu). Direct product overlap with Old Capitol in firm and extra-firm tofu SKUs sold through retail and foodservice, but at national scale versus Old Capitol's regional Iowa focus.
- Sunrise Soya Foods: Canadian tofu manufacturer (Sunrise brand) with broad retail and foodservice distribution. Competes in the same tofu category with significantly greater scale and national reach than Old Capitol.
- Mori-Nu: Long-shelf-life aseptic tofu brand owned by Morinaga. Overlaps with Old Capitol in tofu category and foodservice channel but competes on convenience and national distribution rather than local/organic positioning.
- Pulmuone: Major tofu and plant-based brand (Nasoya in the U.S.). Competes in the same tofu category with broader national distribution and a more extensive product portfolio than Old Capitol.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Old Capitol Food Co. social profiles
Digital presenceOld Capitol Food Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Old Capitol Food Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Old Capitol Food Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Old Capitol Food Co. 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 Old Capitol Food Co.
What does Old Capitol Food Co. do?
Old Capitol Food Co. manufactures traditional tofu and a Mayu dip & dressing line using 100% non-GMO organic Iowa-grown soybeans at its Iowa City production facility. Products include firm and firmest tofu varieties and the Mayu condiment, sold through institutional dining, food co-ops, grocery stores, and restaurants across the Iowa/Midwest region.
Is Old Capitol Food Co. a public or private company?
Old Capitol Food Co. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Old Capitol Food Co. founded?
Old Capitol Food Co. was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Old Capitol Food Co. based?
Old Capitol Food Co. is headquartered in Iowa City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Old Capitol Food Co. make money?
One revenue line is on record: tofu and food product sales.
Who are Old Capitol Food Co.'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are SoyBoy, Wildwood, Oasis Tradelinks and Twin Oaks Community Tofu. Direct peers are Franklin Farms and Hodo Foods. Broad incumbents are House Foods, Sunrise Soya Foods, Mori-Nu and Pulmuone.
Does Old Capitol Food Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Old Capitol Food Co..
What industry is Old Capitol Food Co. in?
Old Capitol Food Co.'s product category is Organic Tofu Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAGAD, Tofu, Tempeh & Traditional Soy Foods Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3112 and its SIC code is 2000.