Ooni was and is a big innovator in the outdoor pizza oven segment. They've largely built the category from the time they first came on the scene in 2012. With that success has come a number of copycats. This week they notched a victory in court against one such copycat pizza oven company, forcing them to stop selling their ovens.
Solo Stove grew at a rapid pace through the Pandemic. Since then, it's
been the complete opposite. They've already turned over their entire executive team, and now they're doing layoffs. Their stock price has been under $1 for a couple weeks now, which could be problematic with the stock exchange if they can't turn it around quickly.
Once you create a new product, the next step is figuring out distribution. Selling through wholesale channels can make or break a business, but it's hard to get your product on store shelves. Tractor Supply has
announced the “Growing Life Out Here” Open Buying Days event, which is an opportunity for new vendors to get in front of buyers.
I'm currently testing a Breeo Live-Fire Grill, which is their first purpose-built grill (review coming in the near future). My first impression is it's built like tank. While cooking on it, I did wish I had a large dome to put on the cooking grate, especially because it's February in Michigan. Coincidentally, they released a large stainless steel
dome this week for just that purpose.
Finally, Blackstone has been a dominant force in the US, but they're largely unknown internationally. They're working to seize this opportunity and have appointed a new GM of Europe to grow their brand.
