Mike Adair founded Red’s All Natural in 2009 while earning his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since then, Red’s has landed the number one spot in the premium frozen food brand for their protein-packed burritos and breakfast sandwiches. City Lifestyle spoke to Mike regarding his initial move to middle Tennessee, how his family found community here, and about Red, the dog that inspired the brand’s name.
Red’s All Natural was born while Mike was working on his Master’s in New Hampshire. He and his wife, Paige, used to host “Taco Tuesdays” for fellow students. The shining star of those evenings was Paige’s famed burritos, so popular that there was a waitlist of people who wanted to try them. Magic happened the week that Mike had an assignment due for his entrepreneurial class. The popularity of Paige’s burritos convinced him to pivot the recipe into the execution of his project. The company name was inspired by his rescue dog, and the concept of Red’s All Natural became a business plan.
Mike and Paige decided to move to Tennessee after Red’s was founded, while living in a Connecticut commuter town near New York City. With no need to go into the city for work, and extended family already settled in middle Tennessee, a change was in order. “We came down to visit, trying to figure out a potential area to move to. We fell in love. The decision was made on the plane ride back.” After living and working all over the United States, the two found the area extremely welcoming. “The culture here is old school Southern with a little bit of a college vibe. Throw in the music, and it just had a nice combination of things that made it super cool.”
Since Red’s All Natural was created through a community, we asked Mike how he’s experienced community in Nashville. “There’s a constant influx of humans coming here with different backgrounds, geographies, and perspectives, alongside the folks who are from here. It's been a constant evolution of culture that I’ve found super interesting. It’s an open-minded energy of Southern hospitality with great culture and diversity. It’s felt like family since the moment we got here. We’re getting all of those different traditions that they're bringing – food, music, culture – a blend of diversity, thought, religion, communication styles, and that gives us the opportunity to connect on so many different levels with so many different people.”
As for his company, Mike believes frozen foods are due for a reboot. “There’s always been a weird perception of frozen food. I grew up in the era of TV dinners. Fast forward twenty or thirty years, and the freezer is arguably the best technology we have in order to provide incredible fresh food to the most amount of people as efficiently as humanly possible. Everything we make is picked at the peak of freshness.” He says the advent of the air fryer elevated the way consumers prepared frozen goods (food). “We were missing a way to reheat products that gave people an incredible experience. Not all food responds well to a microwave, especially premium bread. The air fryer is much more bulletproof and solves that problem.”
Finally, City Lifestyle wanted to know a little bit more about Red, the shelter dog who inspired the brand name. “He was the absolute best. I accidentally adopted Red from a shelter in Tacoma, Washington, when I was wearing a suit and tie in between meetings. I got to the last cage, and there were three dogs. Two were barking, and one of them was in a corner, being quiet. He was a skinny, half-balding, reddish mutt that was looking at me like, ‘Dude. Please.’ He came home with me that day and didn’t leave my side for the next twelve years.”
You can learn more about Red’s All Natural at their website.
redsallnatural.com
Red’s is on a mission to cook food better for people with big things to do.