Who Founded GOODLES, and What’s Behind the Noodle

Jen Zeszut — three-time founder, CEO, and the person who told her husband she was “done with startups” approximately five minutes before starting another one — and Paul Earle, a brand expert, professor, and entrepreneur who’d spent years watching the mac and cheese category stagnate, connected in 2020. The pitch was simple: mac and cheese is a $4 billion category loved by basically everyone, yet nobody had managed to make a version that was good for you without losing the yum factor. Challenge: accepted.

The pair co-founded GOODLES on video calls during the pandemic. They pitched over 100 investors and heard “no” most of the time. They assembled a team of true believers anyway — including Molly Michet, a culinary innovator who’d led product development for major food brands, and Deb Luster, former president of Annie's, who knew a thing or two about what the category was missing. They iterated on the noodle more than a thousand times (yes, seriously!) until it hit a 92% switch rate in blind taste tests.

No Big Food parent company. No corner-cutting. Just a homegrown Santa Cruz brand trying to make something genuinely gooder.

The Mac Pit, a Live Choir, and a Palm Reader (Yes, Really)

We've always done things our own way, and this event was no different. Once inside, you could dive into the mac pit, a pool of plush noodles shaped like our actual pasta. You could get your palm read (the future looks cheesy!). You could crank a 90s-style gumball machine and walk away with a flash tattoo, a pin, or a sticker. There was merch you'd actually want to wear — sweatshirts, hats, tees — plus a station serving up free microwavable Cheddy Mac cups, and a tote-making table where you picked your own patches — things like "Gouda Vibes Only" and "Cheesin' for a Reason" — and ironed them on yourself, so you left with a OOAK mac memento. There was even an old-school rotating postcard rack, stocked wall to wall with custom GOODLES postcards — wish you were here, f’real. 

The Line was the Place to Be  

Co-founders Jen Zeszut (CEO) and Paul Earle were out on the sidewalk, in the actual line, talking to whoever was next to them. Not a meet-and-greet with a velvet rope (that’s SO not our style). Just two people who make mac and cheese, standing in the sun with everyone else, hearing what people loved and why they'd shown up. Between the founders, the skate team, the choir, and the palm reader, waiting in line was where the party started.

We <3 Our Fans 

Our people SHOWED UP. Folks traveled to NYC all the way from Florida and Utah, specifically for our event. Two of our biggest super fans, Hank and Camryn, flew in and then asked if they could work the pop-up instead of just attending it — Hank spent the whole weekend greeting people in line in a full Cheddy costume (ICONIC). Nobody asked them to fly in. Nobody asked Hank to sweat it out in a giant noodle suit in May. That's just who our fans are: the ones who show up, suit up, and turn a pop-up into a homecoming. GOODLES Clubhouse exists because of people exactly like them. 

We can’t wait to do it again! What city should we hit next?

FAQ: GOODLES' NYC Pop-Up

Where and when was the GOODLES NYC pop-up? GOODLES hosted a three-day pop-up from Friday, May 15th through Sunday, May 17th 2026 at 188 Lafayette Street in New York City.

What was there to do at the GOODLES pop-up? Fans could climb into a mac pit filled with noodle-shaped stuffies, get their palm read, make their own custom patched tote bag, spin a gumball machine for flash tattoos, pins, or stickers, grab a free microwavable mac cup, and watch a live choir and a roller skate team perform throughout the weekend.

What made the GOODLES pop-up different from other NYC pop-ups? Instead of treating the wait as a formality, GOODLES turned the line itself into the experience — with founders talking to fans in person, live entertainment, and hands-on activities — rather than a table where people simply picked up free merch and left.

Did GOODLES fans travel for the pop-up? Yes! Fans traveled from as far as Greenwich, Connecticut and Salt Lake City, Utah. Two super fans, Hank and Camryn, flew in and volunteered to work the event, with Hank greeting guests in a full Cheddy mascot costume. Iconic. 

What is GOODLES Clubhouse? GOODLES Clubhouse is the brand's devoted fan community. At the NYC pop-up, Clubhouse members were given an exclusive heart-shaped patch not available to the general public.