Healthy prepared food service Thistle lands in Vacaville
May 03 2019By Mark Anderson – Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal
Fast-growing nutritional meal delivery company Thistle has taken 79,000 square feet in Vacaville to prepare its meals and expand operations.
The San Francisco-based company grew its revenue 1,029% in the three years ending 2017.
Thistle uses organic and local ingredients whenever possible, which will be easier to do in Solano County than at its current preparation area in Berkeley, said Robert Burris, CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corp.
Thistle Health Inc. was founded in 2013 as a healthy food and juice company. It pivoted to a subscription meal delivery service in 2015.
Many of Thistle’s prepared meals are vegetarian, and vegan is an option.
“Vacaville was a nice fit for them because they could retain their Bay Area employees,” Burris said.
The company is expected to employ 250 in Vacaville at 771 Eubanks Drive over the next six months, Burris said.
Thistle's rates start at $42 a week for a subscription, or $11.50 per meal, according to Thistle.
Since its inception, Thistle has only raised $1 million in investor money. Founder and CEO Ashwin Cheriyan told the San Francisco Business Times that he prefers to increase revenue to raise money, rather than raise it from investors.
Thistle’s meals vary every week, but some standouts from this week include turmeric millet porridge with berries, sweet potato satay noodle bowl with adzuki beans and edamame, and eggplant curry with saffron-cardamom rice.