Building a Food Business in North Carolina with Becca Wright, Founder and CEO of Piedmont Pennies

Building a Food Business in North Carolina with Becca Wright, Founder and CEO of Piedmont Pennies

From My Food Job Rocks! by Adam Yee

May 21, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

Becca Wright discusses her journey in building Piedmont Pennies and insights into the food business landscape in North Carolina.

Becca Wright, founder of Piedmont Pennies, joins the show to share how a grandmother’s cheese cracker recipe became a Southern specialty brand sold in 450+ stores across 47 states. She breaks down why specialty retail is the smartest launchpad for new food brands, how demoing reveals truths your spreadsheet never will, and the mindset shift that keeps founders steady through the highs and lows. We also dig into the North Carolina food ecosystem, Eastern vs. Western barbecue, and what “community over competition” really looks like in CPG. A masterclass in scrappy, intentional brand building from the heart of the Carolinas. Promo Code Use code FOODROCKS20 for 20% off at PiedmontPennies.com Key Links for Show Notes • Piedmont Pennies website: piedmontpennies.com • Social: @PiedmontPennies (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook) • NC IDEA grant program • NC State Food Lab • Startup CPG community • Weaver Street Market (Raleigh/Carrboro/Hillsborough/Southern Village) • Reed’s Fine Foods (Charlotte) • Fresh Market, Lowe’s Foods (NC local sections) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Adam Yee

Guest: Becca Wright

Topics covered

  • food business
  • specialty retail
  • North Carolina food ecosystem
  • community over competition
  • brand building

Keywords

  • food business
  • Piedmont Pennies
  • specialty retail
  • North Carolina
  • community over competition
  • brand building
  • barbecue
  • food ecosystem

Sponsors

Piedmont Pennies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Piedmont Pennies, NC IDEA, NC State Food Lab, Startup CPG, Weaver Street Market, Reed’s Fine Foods, Fresh Market, Lowe’s Foods

Places: North Carolina, Carolinas

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