Future of Foods Alumnus Launches Company

Michael Bright’s idea for Bacon Zest originated in the Spring 2019 CAPS Future of Food course. Tired of eating the same bland eggs and bacon breakfast everyday, Michael originally developed “Better Bacon Bags”, a product that seasoned bacon in a bag before cooking. His quest for a safe, scalable solution ultimately led to Bacon Zest.

Michael is a student at the University of Kansas majoring in Global International Studies with a minor in Intelligence and National Security. When the coronavirus pandemic hit he was able to focus on building on the work that he had done at CAPS. Leveraging industry connections and mentors, he perfected his Bacon Zest recipe and supporting operations to initiate the Beta launch on November 20, 2020. The venture launched with three flavors (classic, honey and sweet barbecue), with plans to expand the line over time.

Michael attended CAPS during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. He took full advantage of the CAPS program spending time in engineering, law and Future of Foods. Michael was in the YEP-KC summer class of 2018. Become an early product adopter by visiting Bacon Zest.