Cooks Venture, a relatively new company that specializes in producing and processing pasture-raised, slow-growth chickens, has ceased operations, according to reports.
The company, which was founded in 2019 by Matthew Wadiak, former chief operating officer of Blue Apron, operated plants in the Oklahoma towns of Jay and Tahlequah. It also had operations in Arkansas.
One affected Cook’s Venture employee showed a letter he received from the company to Fox23. According to a report from that media outlet, the letter stated: “We regret to inform you that, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a solution to the Company’s financial difficulties and are left with no choice but to shut down the Company and its facilities."
Despite the announcement, the Cook's Venture website remained operational as of December 4.
A Facebook post from the City of Jay stated that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) would meet with employees affected by Cooks Venture closure. The post also stated that the OESC, as well as the city and the Cherokee Nation and other state agencies, “are working diligently to provide resources to those affected.”
As recently as August, Cooks Venture had been adding to its leadership staff, including the hiring of John Niemann as CEO and Amanda Parker as chief commercial officer.
When Wadiak formed the company, he described Cooks Venture as a “next-generation food company rooted in regenerative agriculture and transparency.”
