Wandering the streets of New York means you are likely to find any type cuisine you crave. The iconic pizza scene in the city, however, is unbeatable– with its perfectly foldable crust, and desirable dough consistency that holds all the cheese and toppings necessary. While pizza in the city is an easy go-to for tourists and locals alike, those that are on strict plant-based and/or dairy-free diets struggle to find the ideal alternative.
Once Kobi Regev, founder of Pleese Cheese, converted to a vegan diet and questioned how he could live in the city without grabbing a slice of pizza, he set out to create a vegan cheese that met all of his high flavor and versatility standards.
Regev’s career began in the jewelry business, helping with his family’s jewelry manufacturer company. “I knew little to nothing about jewelry, but wanted to learn everything I could to be a valuable member of the team. I went into the factories, learned to refine gold, and even made my wife’s engagement ring. That’s the thing about me: If I care about something, I need to know everything about it,” shared Regev. He would soon bring that very same passion to his search for the perfect plant based pizza cheese.
Regev and his wife first explored the vegan food world in the summer of 2014 after changing their diet for health reasons. “We would sit down to watch TV in the evening and I observed how the first few commercials would be about restaurants and the last two would be about heart medication or other health concerns. I had terrible heartburn at the time, so I decided to change my diet.” It wasn’t until the last day of his health challenge that Regev treated himself to a classic New York slice and regretted the decision when his body felt horrible for days after. He began going completely plant-based when he wasn’t traveling as a sales representative for the jewelry company. “It wasn’t until I went fully vegan after 7 months that my brother questioned how I could be a true New Yorker without pizza. This is when my wife and I started our journey of creating vegan pizzas in our home by experimenting with homemade vegan cheeses.”
What started as a hobby in his own kitchen quickly gained attraction on social media and inspired Regev and his wife to start their own business. “We would often post pictures of our vegan pizzas on Instagram and one day someone called my wife asking where our pizzeria was located. Well there was no pizzeria and that’s when I realized maybe this hobby was more serious than I thought. So I left my job and went to work at a pizzeria on the Upper West side.”
Working in the pizzeria opened Regev’s eyes to the many food allergies kids had, whether that be a type of nut, soy, or cornmeal. “When a school ordered 20 pies from us I let them know we were trying a new vegan cheese with cashews and they were quick to decline, saying they were a nut-free school. I began researching how to make vegan cheese that wasn’t from nuts or soy and questioned what other bean I could use.” Regev eventually came across cannellini beans and made a vegan cheese that came out to his liking. It was a hit at local events and parents asked if the couple was selling the cheese.
Regev’s next step was to find a business incubator where he learned about the process of bringing a product to market. “It took 3 years of R&D and trial and error with food scientist teams to get the consistency and melting right. Not only was I learning about the creation of a product and brand, but I was learning about the food science that made it spot on”
As with so many foodservice operators, the Pandemic brought both challenges and opportunities for the industry. Pleese Cheese found itself with product that had originally been allocated for museums or office events. The New York entrepreneur saw an opportunity after exploring vegan communities online and advertising to restaurants. “We got started by giving away samples to interested restaurants and on Labor Day weekend of 2020 we had a small launch in 5 food service locations across the country. Those operators took our product put in on their menus and sold out in all of these locations.”
With the return of in-dining room patrons this past summer, Pleese Cheese has expanded into 7 restaurant chains in New York, including Vito’s Slice and Ices, Tavola, Tavolino, Rocco’s Pizza, Stella’s Pizza, and Cuts and Slices, as well as Checker’s Pizza in Connecticut. “Ideally I want to be able to step up to a window in the city and have the option of a traditional slice as well as a perfectly crafted vegan, plant-based option.”
For more information on Pleese Cheese, visit their website and request a free cheese sample.
