Solution

We are dedicated to developing the new generation of ceramic manufacturers and finding them in our own backyard. 100% of our staff live in Philadelphia and many in the neighborhood where the factory is housed.

We provide competitive compensation, professional development and specialized training in specialty areas like mold making and glaze chemistry. Our staff are professional artists, the recently incarcerated, part time musicians and avid food nerds. We believe in creating generational jobs that build generational wealth. 

Product / service

Felt+Fat designs and manufatures high quality porcelain products with a variert of collections:

Standards

Core shapes and colors designed in collaboration with professional chefs.

Seasonal

Evolving colors and textures enhance collectability and sustain long-term consumer interest.

Limited Edition

Enabling cost-effective experimentation and keeping the brand relevant to current design trends.

Seconds

Discounted and slightly flawed items hook customers with heavy discounting, minimizing production waste.

Collaborations

Full design control positions us as a premium collaborator, expanding the audience and maintaining brand freshness.

Customization

From color matching and logo embossing to full product development, customization attracts a diverse clientele.

Projected impact

Our goal is to help revitalize the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia through providing quality local manufacturing jobs for its residents.

Theory of change

Our manufacturing processes are such that we can provide jobs to people with no more than a high school education and a willingness to work hard. Because of this, we are able to hire residents local to our facility in the distressed neighborhood of Kensington. As our organization grows we will continue to increase compensation and opportuities for these employees to advance and create strong carreers. 

Traction

We've got incredible traction with top restaurants around the country that have partnered with us for their tableware. We've been featured in places like the NYTimes, Vogue, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. and have had several high profile celebrity brand collaborations.

All of our relationships are rooted in an authentic connection with brands and individuals who value high quality, American made production.

Recently we have seen significant growth: 66% YoY in 2023. In 2024 we landed a major deal supplying a rapidaly growing hospitality property with USHG and are in talks with Hilton, Omni and many other large hospiality partners.

Business model

Felt+Fat is all about vertical integration. By owning the design, manufacturing and sales we are able to be very nimble and have clear lines of communication with our customers. While our ultimate goal is to focus on Hospitality and DTC, we have many other sales channels we can fall back on should any particular channel suffer due to unforeseen issues in the market. This was seen quite palpably when we moved away from hospitality in 2020 and focused more on DTC and white label manufacturing. 

Market & competition

Recently, the United States Ceramics Tableware Market size was estimated at $5.8 billion, with the majority of that being made overseas. In the small cohort of contemporary domestic producers, Felt+Fat stands out. The majority of producers in this category take cues from traditional, rustic American pottery and feaure brown clay, exposed rims and an earthy / slightly chunky look. Our aesthetic is a true melting pot inspired by things like Danish modernism and the Memphis design group of Italy. Because we use white, porcelain clay for our production, we have a clean canvas that can cover a much wider range of client taste. 

Vision & strategy

Scale up + optimize

New facilities bring enhanced capabilities and efficiency with an eventual goal of 500k+ pieces produced annually.

Lean into Hospitality

Increased output and a growing sales team allows us to target previously unreachable, large partners in the hospitality space, in 2024 we have been able to land a major account with USHG.

Grow DTC

Expand our marketing playbook with direct mail, SMS, and a versatile ambassador program across marketing platforms to grow our direct to consumer market.

Try new things

We'll expand our product lines and add new categories like hardware and lighting. We'll target business gifting and partner with interior designers.

Expand physical presence

We plan to attend several major trade shows throughout the year, pop-up in multiple cities and begin moving towards a brick and mortar retail program.

Risks