Americans are obsessed with protein. And the meat and seafood world is dominated by big players, like Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and Cargill.
At the same time, there’s a growing interest in ethically sourced premium proteins, like wagyu and A5 kobe beef, wild boar, heritage pork and spiny lobster.
That’s an opportunity, argues Gabriel Llaurado, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Meat N’ Bone, which describes itself as “a modern retailer of protein.”
Founded in Miami, Meat N’ Bone sources meat, seafood and game from select farms, ranches and fisheries around the country, giving consumers access to products traditionally found only in high-end restaurants — or as they say it, to “shop like a chef.”
The retailer ships nationwide, and offers delivery through eight boutique shops and a fulfillment center in South Florida.
These are not butcher shops, though the meat is hand cut by the providers, Llaurado said. It’s more about access to products that typically aren’t available to culinary civilians.
Llaurado argues that labels seen on grocery stores can be very misleading. What qualifies as “grass fed,” “pasture-raised” or “all-natural” involves loose definitions, and Meat N’ Bone aims to bring more transparency to meat sourcing, as well as access.
But when you’re dealing with cuts of meat that many people don’t really know how to cook, it’s no surprise the evolution of Meat N’ Bone led to the launch of restaurants too. Though it was sort of an accident.
In 2020, Llaurado and co-founder Luis Mata, who is now CEO of Meat N’ Bone, had a boutique shop in the Miami area and a space opened up next door.
So the two developed a few dishes and turned the space into what became the restaurant Wagyu Bar.
It was during the pandemic, so it was mostly delivery initially. But, when they could invite diners in, they had 25 to 30 tables, Llaurado said. It casual and simple, but it was a way to show off their premium meats, and consumers loved it.
Soon, however, guests asked for a more upscale setting. If they were spending potentially thousands on high-end steaks, Llaurado said, the vibe should match.
So Meat N’ Bone opened a second location called Wagyu House with roughly the same menu, but a more-elevated atmosphere.
It’s a meat-lover’s paradise, with appetizers like wagyu carpaccio, Japanese A5 wagyu nigiri, Benton’s bacon bites and grilled marrow bone (aka “beef butter”).
Meat N' Bone specializes in proteins from niche producers. | Photo courtesy of Meat N' Bone.
And then there are the steaks.
Ribeye Japanese F1 wagyu or Kokusan BMS 8-9 (the latter a reference to domestic Japanese beef with a certain marbling level). A Colorado wagyu porterhouse, or picanha (a Brazilian cut). A Japanese A5 Miyazaki-Gyu prime rib (a luxury brand of wagyu) or a dry-aged Santa Teresa Cowboy (a bone-in ribeye infused with rum). Some cuts are priced in the hundreds.
These are not commonly known terms. But Llaurado said their goal is to educate the public, in part. But also to make such dishes accessible — at least to those who can pay the price.
There’s no getting around the fact that beef prices are going up, said Llaurado, whether commoditized or from smaller producers. Consumers now expect better quality, though, when they see wagyu on the menu, “they think they’re going to be charged an arm and a leg.”
Llaurado contends they are able to keep prices relatively more reasonable because they are buying direct from those smaller producers that struggle to compete against Big Meat.
But now Meat N’ Bone is looking for its growth path.
The company is hoping to raise $4 million in pre-series A equity to accelerate expansion. Last week, Meat N’ Bone announced a star-studded advisory board, which includes Rob Wilder, co-founder and vice chairman of José Andrés Group, who also co-founded World Central Kitchen.
The advisory board also includes Deb Luster, founder and former president of Annie’s Homegrown; Barry Kates, founder and president of marketing and event production firm Innovative Group, and Carlos Herrera, former CEO of Durham Meat and Seafood and former CEO of the ecommerce marketplace Aeropost.
Llaurado said their goal is to focus on the retail side, but the restaurants continue to evolve, with Wagyu House as the primary brand.
The original Wagyu Bar has been re-concepted as Meat N’ Bone Kitchen, or MNB Kitchen, a more casual restaurant with burgers and every few months they bring in a guest chef to do a takeover. Currently it’s Guillermo Gassan, whose menu includes wagyu skirt tacos, heritage pork choripan (a sausage sandwich), a New York strip sandwich with provolone, and a selection of burgers and steaks.
Llaurado said they plan to open more boutiques because, frankly, they’re more cost effective to open.
“It costs us $70,000 to do a boutique, but restaurants are a different animal,” he said.
“Restaurants have always been a great business, in terms of how we want to position our brand,” he added. “We can scale them. But right now, we’re prioritizing growing Meat N’ Bone as a retail concept.”