Hello everyone. I’ve been very busy making life-changing merch (free shirts for people who are in Montauk tomorrow night) but you’re in store for a great beauty and wellness letter today.
I spoke to three founders yesterday:
Peter Rahal, founder of David (and co-founder of RX Bar)
Marcus Antebi, founder of goodsugar (and founder of Juice Press)
and Devon Nagelberg, co-founder of The Brightwood (and co-founder of Ject)
An Andrew Huberman-backed protein bar just raised a $10mm seed round.
Peter Rahal (who co-founded RX BAR, and sold it to Kellogg for $600mm) announced his new protein bar brand, David, back in March 2024. The announcement came days after New York Magazine’s “life after food” cover story about Ozempic, and a few days before Oprah’s Ozempic special with Weight Watchers. David is positioning itself as the disciplined answer to a culture obsessed with weight loss. The brand has not officially discussed ingredients but when one person on Twitter asked “Whey?,” Rahal responded, “yes.” Someone else said “If it's choc coated I'll pass “ to which Rahal said, “It’s not.”
This week, David announced a $10mm seed round. The round was led by Rahal with support from Valor Siren Ventures (Black Seed Bagels, No Cow), and health podcasters Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman (which makes me think there might eventually be a media arm to this whole platform). The raise announcement didn’t specify what the plans are for product expansion, but it did say the money will be used to, “continue developing science-based, delicious food and to build its team of industry-leading strategists, scientists, and health experts.”
After reading about the raise, I emailed the team, and Rahal sent me this quote last night:
"With 20 years of experience in the food and nutrition space, I’ve seen the debate on optimal diets evolve over time. Thanks to Dr. Peter Attia, the evidence has become clear on three key principles of nutrition: (1) Control calorie intake. (2) Prioritize adequate protein. (3) Maintain stable blood sugar levels. These evidence-based pillars have guided our mission at David to create superior products that meet consumers' nutritional needs."
There was only one person to text about David and the role it might play in the CPG world:
’s Andrea Hernández.“I think the differentiator is the 28g of protein per bar – this is what might make people who are all about tracking protein intake to convert. I think they will definitely launch a “system” a la Blueprint from Bryan Johnson, I know that Linus Technology is behind this (food tech wording here probably also why they raised $10mm in this environment but also both founders proven record).
This launch was 1000% perfect timing with men/women and everyone in-between looking to add protein to their diets in fast/convenient ways. GNC has a whole section now for GLP1 friendly products.”
I asked her if she was hopeful on taste.
“Haha for a protein bar? Sure I’m hopeful on taste… that cookie dough SKU sounds enticing enough but also I don’t think the people buying these products are looking for overtly sugar candy bars guised as nutrition à la Clif.
On another note I think it’s funny the very meta reference to that David sculpture re: how a lot of these protein head folk talk (I’m on a shred) the idea of being able to chisel out your body or like they literally say ‘decrease fat.’”
The golden ticket-like packaging of David reminds me of the PowerBar wrapper of my childhood. I spoke to Elizabeth Goodspeed (
) about the design choices the David team made:“The branding feels like another, slightly late, entry to the "80s editorial" category that's been popular for a few years, albeit mostly for campaigns, not identity design, until now (I wrote about it in January, 2022). The typeface this and the others in the style all use is Apple Garamond, a condensed version of Garamond, which is originally from the sixteenth-century. I guess using it here does nod to an era of type that was very rooted in classical aesthetic principles, à la David, while also bringing in the indulgence, and diet-crazed, vibe of the 80s.
But IMO, pairing such an allusion-heavy editorial typeface with that weirdly modernist brown square, plus the more 90s/2020s monospaced font for the cals etc. (brands love using a mono to indicate anything to do with utility or science) *and* the gold foil ultimately just feels an unsuccessful mashup of too many trends at once.”
“We do not need as much protein as everyone believes.”
That is a line of copy on the website for goodsugar, a juice shop on the Upper East Side created by Juice Press founder Marcus Antebi.
Yesterday, I had to make the voyage to my sister’s midtown office to lend her some dresses for a wedding she’s going to this weekend. I asked her how the Juice Press was in 30 Rock, and she said it’s one of the worst in the city. Instead, she suggested I go to goodsugar and get a muffin. So I did (we have a particular affinity to healthy muffins because of our mother’s 7-Eleven coffee and morning glory muffin reliance for most of our childhood years).
The main color of the goodsugar store (which opened last year) is a screaming yellow, which is used on the labels of the various juices and smoothies and menus. It did indeed smell like a health food store (in comparison to Happier Grocery or Juice Press which smell more like air conditioning and cleaning supplies). The best health food store to ever exist in New York was Integral Yoga, which closed in 2019. Now I usually go to LifeThyme in the West Village for muffins and other treats like this.
Marcus Antebi is a man after my own heart. He has a sense of humor when it comes to wellness, similar to Gwyneth and Chris Black. Antebi knows that the pursuit of health as a luxury is ridiculous, and once someone owns that, you can’t really dunk on them. If this circa-2013 Juice Press sticker doesn’t mean anything to you, then we have something seriously not in common:
Last night when I got home, I got in touch with goodsugar team (smart people, they told me that they reference my Shoppy Shop article often). I got on the line with Antebi himself, and asked him a few questions about his temple of wellness on the Upper East Side.
Why did you decide to open on the Upper East Side?
“I chose the Upper East Side because my experience with my previous juice company indicated that it had some of the best potential locations. Additionally, post-COVID, I found that downtown had very few rental options available in the specific zone I was targeting, and rents were still quite high. The store on Third Avenue and 69th Street was a great deal, and I have a personal affinity for the numbers three, six, and nine, which have mystical qualities according to Nikola Tesla.”
Do you think you’ll open more locations?
“Yes, I’m currently working on my second location downtown. However, I'm not ready to reveal the details yet because I don’t have a signed lease.”
We are all mourning the peak Juice Press of 2014. What are your thoughts on how you left the company?
“The product we created at Juice Press was challenging to distribute across the city and even to Boston and other locations. We were still refining the overall business model at that time. My partner, who eventually bought out my interest, had a different vision for the company than I did. I can share the full story once my NDA expires in September 2024.”
What’s your biggest frustration with the current health and wellness landscape?
“My biggest frustration, particularly in the realm of healthy food, is that there really isn’t a robust industry. While it may seem like there are options, walking the city streets reveals a lack of truly healthy food choices. Outside of New York City, in the suburbs and other states, the situation is even worse; big supermarkets contribute to the problem, with 90% of what’s available being "fake healthy."
Beyond food, my main frustration is that the health and wellness industry often overlooks the fundamental issue: humanity's collective struggle with chronic anxiety. This leads to behaviors focused on immediate gratification and addictive patterns. As more people awaken to this reality, I believe there will be a shift in consumer demand for different products. However, we still have a long way to go. In the meantime, my small venture, goodsugar, thrives because there are enough people seeking purity and quality.”
Why is that muffin so good?
“Making baked goods delicious isn’t the challenge; the real difficulty lies in making them both delicious and shelf-stable, as well as appealing to a wide range of tastes. Many people enjoy the sweetness of traditional baked goods, which often comes from refined sugar, or the density that eggs provide. However, it’s relatively easy to create vegan baked goods and chocolates without refined ingredients that are truly exceptional. The higher cost reflects the fact that we’re not mass-producing them in a factory, and the ingredients are less common because they often come from unique sources like the rainforest.”
I am happy to have another excuse to visit the Upper East Side regularly.
The great dissolve. 💉
A few weeks ago when I was on vacation I started breaking out, probably from excessive wine, feta, mediocre sunscreen brands, late-night partying, and a short but awesome bubblegum vape habit. One morning I looked in the mirror and immediately sent Devon Nagelberg, the co-founder of The Brightwood (and Ject) an SOS message from the Cyclades.
I ate my muffin on the 5-block walk over to The Brightwood. I’ve been there a few times for peels in the past, and I’ve grown to really love Nagelberg’s approach to business and aesthetics. I’ve written this before in the past that I get along best with practitioners who are generous with education and their opinions on the industry (which is why
is usually my go-to for facials… but she’s busy getting married right now).After a chemical peel and Botox to my masseters (I clench, I don’t grind, so mouthguard doesn’t do anything), I had to discuss some topics that have been coming up on my newsfeed over and over with Nagelberg.
On the shifting tides in filler:
“There is definitely a cultural shift around filler right now. People want truly natural-looking results.
For those who have been getting filler for 5+ years or jumping around to different practices, they might be ready to start fresh. Interestingly, most are opting to refill afterwards and are just looking for a more natural outcome.
Filler is not going anywhere. It is a great tool in our toolkit for the right candidate but, understandably, patients are demanding more natural results. That comes down to the experience and technique of the medical provider.
Micro-treatments over time deliver the best, most natural-looking results.
We’re most excited about some of the biostimulatory innovations in the industry, like Sculptra and PRF, which can deliver results like filler but are simply your own collagen production.
And yes, we offer dissolving as a service.”
On end-of-summer skin rehab:
“Fall is the most popular time for skin treatments like microneedling, PRP and peels to strip away the sins of summer. These treatments are great for combating sun damage, skin congestion and textural concerns.
It’s also incredibly important to use high-quality, medical-grade products consistently at home to protect skin quality and maintain results of professional treatments. The skincare industry has been grossly overcomplicated lately. You need a few, high-quality products for a great skincare regimen: cleanser, moisturizer, retinol, sunscreen.
There is a big misconception and misplaced fear around summer skin services. Of course we need to be careful about sun exposure but we absolutely can and should be doing micro-treatments throughout the summer to maintain skin quality. Consistency is key.”
On Botox making us less horny:
“…or maybe we’re having more sex because we look and feel good? :)”
One last thought:
“So many practices have turned into factories and consumers can sense that. The pendulum swung too far. It’s not a blowout.
With that, I’m often shocked by the lack of true hospitality throughout the industry.
Aesthetic services are luxurious and elective. When you buy a designer handbag or dine in a five-star restaurant you expect white-glove services. This experience should be no different.
That’s how The Brightwood came to be. We wanted to build a boutique practice with exceptional clinical care and do it with soul. Not a factory.”
If we had a water cooler, I’d talk to you about:
This guy basically admitted that Jeff Bezos revenge-seduced his wife.
Hamptons locals are keeping the weekly police report bizarre as ever.
Pet fragrance borders on abusive, in my opinion.
Amanda Kludt, the former editor in chief of Eater, has joined The New York Times. She is taking on a newly-created role where she will lead the entire Projects and Initiatives group. Her most recent role was as group publisher of Eater, PS, Punch and Thrillist at Vox Media.
This Cooking for Kamala virtual event is a real Food Network reunion…
… there sure are a lot of stunty food moments in this campaign!
Hyatt is acquiring all of the Standard hotels. According to WSJ, Hyatt will pay a base purchase price of $150mm, with up to an additional $185mm over time as additional properties enter the portfolio. So much hotel industry consolidation!
- on the tropes of womanhood at the DNC: “It’s not just the archetype of the ‘whore’ that has made an appearance at the DNC this week—all the key tropes of womanhood have shown up.”
I heard a rumor that Rhode was in talks with Cinnabon to collab on a new flavor of Peptide Lip Treatment… but the Rhode team pulled out last minute. And just days before Glossier’s Hot Cocoa Balm Dotcom made a limited return.
Writing a LinkedIn style ‘what my boss cucking me taught me about being a manager’ is an interesting use of one of the internet’s town squares and I certainly hope we see more of it.
"I can share the full story once my NDA expires in September 2024.”
!!!