The Birth of Restorative Roots (and the Death of Mama Meals)

Hey fam, Eric here, Holly’s husband + CEO.

We’ve been tight-lipped about this but decided it’s time to share the wild ride we’ve been on.

On Wednesday, March 19th, Mama Meals received TWO Cease and Desist orders against the company.

The first one came from the local health department, not because we were doing anything unsafe, but because of a clerical error if you can believe that! Last year we moved kitchens, told the health department we were moving, filed all the paperwork, but apparently paid the wrong invoice for our permit (we just had our 3rd baby and life was a bit crazy). I never heard from them, and nine months later someone from the health department came into the kitchen we rent, noticed our permit wasn’t active for that address, and threatened me with SIX MONTHS IN JAIL if we continued to make food.

No warning, no discussion about correcting the problem (that we didn't even know about), and we had already passed their safety inspection.

Imagine the biggest punch in the stomach times 10.

Then, on the same day we were told to shut down the kitchen, I got a second Cease & Desist order, this one against using the name Mama Meals!

A year ago, we submitted to trademark the name Mama Meals. Nine months later, the US Patent & Trademark Office refused our application because another company, which shall remain nameless, held a trademark for a similar name and the USPTO thought this could be confusing to people. 

We talked to an attorney who told us we could still potentially get approved and “sneak in” behind the other company's back.  It wasn’t a sure thing, not going to be cheap, and the other company could still potentially sue us.  Another option was to reach out directly and ask the other company for their blessing in the form of a Consent Agreement. We talked it over internally, and instead of trying to sneak behind them, I emailed the other company and introduced myself and Mama Meals.

Well, it turns out this is a very, very big company (maybe $600M in rev), and I was eventually connected via email to their General Counsel. I shared our story and told him we were willing to change our name if they felt it was a threat to their business.  One day later, without any other discussion, the Cease & Desist order came, giving us 60 days to stop using the name Mama Meals “or else.”  

Ohhh what a day that was. “Stop making food and stop using the name you spent 3.5 years building!” 

I will say this business has been an exercise in faith, and that faith keeps getting stronger! 

All this went down on the 19th, and we just happened to have our quarterly leadership meeting scheduled the very next day in which we game-planned our rebrand. This was going to be a massive undertaking and expense for our small company, but we’ve been frugal over the last three years, and it was not going to cripple us.  Also, we figured out a loophole that allowed us to keep making the food.

So we never skipped a beat...

Today we officially become Restorative Roots could sure use your support right now! If you would be so kind, please share us with your friends and family, order some postpartum meals (which are great outside postpartum too), or try our new weekly meal prep line!

We love you and thank you for all your support over these last 3 years!

Eric (and Holly)