Melina Chang couldn’t find anything like the vacuum-sealed chicken snacks she saw in Taiwan. On a trip there, she noticed ready-to-eat seasoned chicken breasts sold in 7‑Elevens and convenience stores. Fully cooked, lightly flavored, no utensils needed. The idea stuck.
She started making her own in 2023 while studying business at USC. It was just a side project at first. She used boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked it sous vide, and packed it with basic seasonings in vacuum bags. Friends tried it and kept asking for more. She started selling them informally to other students.
Riley Yen saw the same kind of chicken snacks on a solo bike trip through Taiwan. He stopped at dozens of convenience stores across the country and kept noticing the same thing: seasoned chicken breast pouches on every shelf, priced cheaply and treated like a protein bar. After he got back to Los Angeles, he looked into the category and realized it was a billion-dollar product line in Asia. There was nothing equivalent in the U.S.
Yen reached out to Chang. They met for coffee, compared notes, and decided to partner. They brought in a third cofounder, Nick Hsu, to help with strategy and operations. Together they launched Im’peccable Chicken in early 2024.
They rented space in a licensed commercial kitchen in Commerce, California. Chang took charge of production and food safety. Yen handled brand, content, and customer outreach. Hsu worked on logistics and sourcing. They used fresh boneless chicken breast, cooked it at low temperature to retain moisture, and sealed it with minimal ingredients—just salt and spice blends, no sugar or preservatives.
They started with three flavors: Original Pepper, Teriyaki, and Orange Habanero. Each pouch contained around 110 calories and 27 grams of protein. They aimed for a product that was shelf-stable, grab-and-go, and less processed than most convenience protein snacks. Orders were initially sold through Shopify, with some local pickups around the USC campus and drop-offs arranged by hand.
Their target customers included students, gymgoers, and busy professionals—people who wanted real food and didn’t mind eating cold chicken from a pouch. The idea took some explaining. For many American customers, the format was unfamiliar. But among Asian American shoppers and others who had lived or traveled in Taiwan, it already made sense.
They invested early in direct video marketing. Yen filmed packing sessions, first-batch tests, and flavor polls. Chang appeared in clips walking through prep, sealing, and labeling. Their short videos showed real production and helped build trust.
As word spread, they began approaching retailers. By mid-2024, they were in early talks with H-Mart, 99 Ranch Market, and 7-Eleven. They applied to pitch competitions and accelerator programs and kept operations lean. Most of the packing was still done by hand, with the team running deliveries themselves and fulfilling online orders directly.
They considered expanding into more flavors or different meats but decided to focus on consistency and awareness first. Their goal wasn’t a product line—it was to build a market for single-serve cold chicken in the U.S.
