This story is part of a series spotlighting the contributions of Black Portlanders to the regional economy. The Business Journal is profiling one Black-owned business a day through February. You can read the coverage here.
Closer Look:
Company name: The Cracker King
Founded: 2016
What it does: "We make the worlds best Gluten Free Crackers."
No. of employees: 5
Address: thecrackerking.com; 226 SE Madison St. Suite 125, Portland
When the Business Journal first featured Jovani Prince in 2018, the headline of the story was "The Cracker King aims to build an empire." Prince has been scrapping ever since to do just that. He used a GoFundMe campaign to buy new equipment for his gluten-free cracker company and lease warehouse space, landed a loan from New Seasons Market to redesign packaging, and took on second jobs to keep the business growing. Those efforts have paid off. Cracker King products are now available in dozens of locations and Prince landed his first national account last year.
What’s biggest challenge your business faced in 2022 and how did you address it? Sourcing Ingredients
What was your biggest success of 2022? We got our first national account.
What’s the outlook for your business in 2023? We are going to more than double our sales in 2023.
What has you most worried? Keeping up with the demand
What are you most excited about? Growing our company
What’s the best thing the city of Portland and/or state of Oregon could do to support your business? Create more programs for revenue opportunities.
What inspired you to be an entrepreneur? Being an African American male, I got tired of being the last to be hired and the first to be fired. I never wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I had to find a way to take care of my family. That was the only job I could think of where I could forge my own path and have job security.
Any advice for other founders? Realize that you are not alone. There are other entrepreneurs that are going through the same struggles you are. When those moments of doubt come, don’t think about it too long, pick your head up and keep moving. You will be successful!!!!!
