Local snack startup Dr. Seitan’s set for statewide Rouses launch
- LBIA
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
By Dillon Lowe
The Rouses Market at Arlington Marketplace
After developing its high-protein, plant-based snacks through LSU’s FOODii program and gaining early traction in Baton Rouge-area grocery stores, local snack startup Dr. Seitan’s is preparing for its biggest growth step yet: a statewide launch in Rouses stores this March.
Founded by husband-and-wife duo Alex and Elise Kreilich, Dr. Seitan’s produces a line of “crunchy puffs” made from seitan, a protein-dense, vegan-friendly meat alternative
derived from wheat gluten. The brand currently offers two flavors, CinnaToast Crunch and Cajun Chili Cheeze.
Alex Kreilich tells Daily Report the business grew “kind of by accident and kind of on
purpose.” After moving back to Louisiana a few years ago, he and his wife resolved to be more mindful about what they ate and began exploring plant-based foods, a journey that led them to seitan.
“We ended up making seitan into a crunchy snack, and it got to be pretty popular with our family and friends,” he says.
That early interest pushed the couple to take the concept beyond their home kitchen and into LSU’s FOODii incubator, which supports food startups by providing access to commercial facilities and offering regulatory guidance and technical assistance. FOODii, Alex says, proved invaluable.
“They have a steam oven, a rotating convection oven and a lot of these more commercial pieces of equipment that made the product 10 times better than it ever could have been trying to make it at home,” he says.
The incubator also helped open doors with local retailers. Since September, Dr. Seitan’s has been stocked in grocery stores across the Capital Region.
But landing a statewide rollout with Rouses represents a major leap in visibility and
scale.
Alex says he secured the partnership through persistent outreach, eventually landing a pitch meeting with the grocer’s protein snack category buyer. During that meeting, he quickly realized the product was selling itself.
“The entire time, [the buyer] was grabbing the CinnaToast puffs,” he says. “He’d eat a
couple and put them away, then we’d go to the next slide and he’d eat a couple more.
He was like, ‘OK, I don’t need to see any more slides.’”
Rouses initially targeted a larger rollout, but production capacity at the FOODii kitchen necessitated a more gradual launch. Deliveries are expected to begin the first week of March, accompanied by in-store demos and other promotional activities.
The business remains something of a side project as Alex, an exercise physiologist,
continues to work full time and Elise, a dietitian, completes her Ph.D. at LSU. The long-term vision, however, is clear, as the Kreilichs are actively exploring ways to scale
manufacturing.
“We definitely hope to take it national,” Alex says.
