FOOD FOUNDRY
Built by Experience,
Driven by Purpose
Food Foundry was born from a decade of hands-on experience in the food industry— learning what works, what fails, and most importantly, why.
From Zero Experience
to Industry Expert
In 2014, Jaroslav Mestka launched Praguery—a dessert brand that would become a beloved Vancouver staple. But the beginning was anything but glamorous.
"I had zero experience in the food industry," Jaroslav recalls. "I didn't know how to cost a recipe, negotiate with suppliers, or navigate health regulations. I learned everything the hard way—through trial, error, and a lot of sleepless nights."
Over the years, while building Praguery into a successful brand, Jaroslav witnessed a troubling pattern: talented food creators with incredible ideas were failing at alarming rates. Not because their products weren't good, but because they lacked the experience, planning, and support infrastructure that larger operations had.
"I saw so many concepts that deserved to succeed—unique flavors, passionate founders, genuine love for food. But without proper guidance on costs, marketing, and operations, they were setting themselves up to fail."
93: This realization sparked the creation of Food Foundry—a place where food entrepreneurs could access everything Jaroslav wished he had when starting out.
Jaroslav Mestka
Founder & CEO, Food Foundry
Founder of Praguery (est. 2014)
Our Mission
To dramatically reduce the failure rate of food businesses by providing founders with the expertise, infrastructure, and strategic support they need to make informed decisions and launch profitably.
Our Vision
To become the trusted launchpad for Vancouver's most innovative food concepts, where every promising culinary idea has a fair chance to become a thriving business.
Our Values
Transparency, real-world expertise, and genuine partnership. We succeed when our founders succeed—that's why we prioritize honest guidance over optimistic promises.