Montgomery County’s Food Industry is Heating Up

When people think of Montgomery County’s business ecosystem, they often think first of its world-renowned life sciences industry or its robust satellite and advanced communications sector. But another industry is booming in the County: food manufacturing. From healthy frozen foods to nationally distributed specialty products, Montgomery County is becoming a place where innovative food companies can launch, scale, and thrive.

Recently, Jesse & Ben’s a seed-oil-free frozen French fry brand based in Rockville announced the close of an oversubscribed Series A financing found led by Greycroft. This new funding will allow the company to continue their retail expansion, invest in its supply chain, and build its leadership team. Jesse & Ben’s products can be found nationwide at stores including Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Target, and Cosco. The company which is redefining the frozen potato category from Montgomery County, grew over 1,100% in 2025 and is expected to grow another 300-400% in 2026.

There are many other examples, including Omega 3 Nutrition, which makes convenient food more nutritious and accessible to families across the country. For Omega 3 Founder Bright Djampa, building his company in Montgomery County made sense because of how efficiently they could connect with distributors and retailers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

“You’ve got world-class access to distribution corridors up and down the East Coast, a workforce that is genuinely diverse and hardworking, and a business community that wants to see you succeed,” said Djampa.

Another example is Mayorga Coffee. The coffee brand, which is based in Rockville and was established in 1997, has grown to become a major national brand. The company, which partners directly with farmers, can be found in stores nationwide, including Amazon, Costco, and Walmart.

MasPanadas, a woman-owned business, is yet another success story example of a local company that has been able to scale nationally. Headquartered in Rockville and founded by Margarita Womack, a Colombian immigrant, MasPanadas manufactures authentic, frozen empanadas and now sells to Whole Foods, Giant, MOM’s Organic Market, Costco, Wegmans and others. That is no easy feat in the highly competitive food industry where the success rate is only between 10 – 20 percent.

“Our company continues to thrive here with exceptional growth in annual sales and our client base including having our products in national grocery chains,” said Womack. “Montgomery County has been a great partner providing connections to programs, tax credit assistance, and funding.”

Montgomery County’s food manufacturers are proving that innovation in the County extends far beyond traditional industries. As local companies continue to grow, the County is strengthening its reputation not only as a hub for life sciences and technology, but also as a top destination for entrepreneurship.