Inside Jonathan Cheban’s rise: How a Blimpie driver became the Foodgod

At 16, Jonathan Cheban’s automobile smelled of vinegar and oil, an aroma left over from his job as a Blimpie supply driver in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

As we speak, the notorious Kardashian bestie — some would possibly say hanger-on — who has legally modified his identify to Foodgod, lives massive in multimillion-dollar properties in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, drives luxurious automobiles and racks up astronomical restaurant payments — in any case, his model promise is that he eats out 365 days a 12 months.

Nonetheless, after twenty years in the pop-cult highlight, a lot of the public could possibly be forgiven for asking: How did this self-proclaimed culinary deity truly change into — and keep — a profitable influencer with greater than Four million followers on Instagram and Twitter?

“There’s at all times that constructing course of, and I had random issues I’d collab and do,” Cheban, 47, instructed The Publish in an unique interview. “Once you don’t know, you don’t know.”

And “random” is correct. The Publish checked out LLCs, trademark registrations, monetary disclosures and archived press releases to search out out the place his cash comes from — and found that Foodgod has had a hand in at the least 59 companies over the previous twenty years, from trend to well being to auto gross sales. 

As we speak, he’s hawking his personal truffle ketchup and CBD snacks, however the merchandise he’s now producing stand on years of “buying and selling up” — from planning events for celebrities, to befriending celebrities, to turning into a superstar himself and capitalizing by means of endorsements, to lastly launching his personal corporations.

However the bona fide businessman is prepared for his mogul second, regardless of haters who consider Kim Kardashian catapulted him into fame.

“I helped Kim alongside the method — large time — however I created my very own id,” he mentioned. (Reps for Kardashian didn’t instantly reply to The Publish’s request for remark.)

Cheban walked The Publish by means of the journey that made a former teenage Blimpie supply driver into certainly one of the most influential meals influencers in the world, making an estimated $30,000 per 30 days on every social-media endorsement — and the classes he realized alongside the method.

“I obtained the bug”

Born in present-day Moldova (at the moment, a part of the USSR), Foodgod grew up in Fort Lee and graduated from Lengthy Island’s Hofstra College in 1995.

From the starting of his p.r. profession with famed publicist Penny Siegal, he lived and breathed the highlight — maybe higher than most celebrities. He studied and coached them on how one can be well-known. However quickly, they wanted him, he mentioned, and that’s how he became mates with paparazzi magnets Paris Hilton, Kelly Osbourne, Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins.

By the flip of the century, he traded employment at a prime p.r. agency for a likelihood to create his personal hype home, Command PR, bringing tons of superstar contacts with him, together with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.  

“In case you don’t play the recreation — if you happen to’re being tough and hiding from footage — it’s all going to go away so quick,” he instructed The Publish.

However it was by no means going to be sufficient for the soon-to-be Foodgod to prop up stars behind the scenes. The lifetime of consideration and glamour was calling to him from the second he started planning press occasions, he mentioned.

“I at all times liked once we did the premieres. The response to individuals arriving is such a excessive for individuals,” he mentioned. “I regarded round and noticed how completely happy individuals have been, and it was so enjoyable. I assumed, ‘I’d like to be on the different aspect of that.’ … That’s my factor. I really like the complete red-carpet world. I obtained the bug.”

“Huge time”

Cheban met Kim Kardashian at the party of mutual good friend Brittny Gastineau, the model-socialite daughter of former New York Jets defensive finish Mark Gastineau.

Quickly, his friendship with the Kardashians would propel him into a profession of actuality tv. The Kardashian bestie joined the present throughout its third season in 2009 and has since been on 27 episodes of the E! present, plus 15 episodes of spinoff reveals like “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami,” and has made different tv and film appearances, based on IMDB.

“There’s no method I used to be going to move up these alternatives,” he instructed The Publish.

His first “large time” solo appearances have been hit and miss: He starred in his personal actuality TV present “The Spin Crowd” about his p.r. agency, however it was canceled after one season. He bought his share in his press firm, Command PR, to his enterprise accomplice Simon Huck.

Alongside his “Spin Crowd” present, Cheban pitched the idea of a Actuality Café in 2010. His Las Vegas restaurant thought was to serve recipes made by actuality TV stars, like “Caroline Manzo’s meatballs.” However after making a splash in the information, the idea dropped out of the public eye and by no means got here to fruition.

“At the moment, he didn’t notice the magnitude of beginning the cafe. After discussing, he realized it was an awesome endeavor for him at the moment of his profession,” a consultant instructed The Publish on his behalf.

Whereas “Spin Crowd” wasn’t the success producer Kim Kardashian hoped it might be, Cheban nonetheless had his large Kardashian fan base: At its peak in 2011, “Maintaining Up With the Kardashians” had 4.eight million viewers.

“Thank God actuality TV occurred. Oh my God, it gave me a likelihood,” he mentioned. “I assumed, ‘I have to be on MTV, however I don’t know how, working in p.r.’ To attain that way of life, you needed to be a musician or an actor [back then] — I’m neither,” he mentioned.

“What do I do?”

Cheban’s mother and father have been each entrepreneurial sorts — his father was a diamond seller in New York Metropolis’s diamond district and his mom remains to be a Sotheby’s real-estate dealer — and it appears he inherited that entrepreneurial kick from them.

Early in his p.r. days, Cheban established a number of streams of earnings with trend traces referred to as Kritik and Clarendon, simply by getting his superstar friends to advertise his entrepreneurial endeavors. His Kardashian connection fashioned the basis of Foodgod’s 44 endorsements thus far — preparations the place he was both paid by a firm (monetary disclosures of compensation vary from $10,000 to $30,000 a month) or obtained a small share of the firm to change into the face of a undertaking.

“You don’t need to do a present after which it’s completed and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t do something,’” he mentioned. “Please, you don’t perceive how briskly it goes. Earlier than you understand it, you’re filming your final episode. Individuals keep in mind you a month, and then you definitely’re completed.” 

However at this time, he says the endorsements characterize a interval in his life earlier than he discovered his area of interest — and when he discovered his personal branding, it made endorsements a complete lot extra profitable.

“I wanted to search out my course,” he mentioned. “There’s a studying curve. All these companies have been over a 13-year interval of not figuring out — what do I do?”

He promoted vodka, a vitamin vape, a line of spas and a telephone display screen for ladies referred to as “Glam Display screen.” The businesses’ SEC filings counsel that he obtained shares in the firm for a number of of the endorsements.

“In all probability 200 followers have been lined up in the scorching solar [in Coney Island] simply to satisfy him and purchase the Glam Display screen. We bought out the similar day [we opened],” mentioned David Borish, founding father of GlamScreen. “Our goal demographic match effectively into his fan base, which was principally the 15- to 25-year-old fan base of the Kardashians.” Borish declined to reveal his compensation association with Cheban.

Cheban owned an unknown proportion of RichRocks Jewellery along with his good friend Robin Rothfeld in 2011. The road was featured on “Good Morning America,” “The As we speak Present,” “The View” and on the necks and ears of Alicia Keys, Kristen Stewart, Kris Jenner and, after all, Kim Kardashian.

He additionally obtained over a 1% share of gossip publication Elite Day by day in 2012 in change for selling the web site — greater than quadruple the share they gave different companions. Elite Day by day founder Gerard Adams mentioned they purchased again Cheban’s shares, including they “regretted” the partnership, based on the Mixergy radio present.

“With Jonathan [Cheban], it was like, ‘We actually need to have the ability to get Kim Kardashian to share our content material. We actually need to have the ability to get in entrance of various celebrities that need to be ambassadors for Elite Day by day and simply sharing our content material, you understand. We ended up getting a lot of his mates to share the content material,’” Elite Day by day founder Gerard Adams instructed Mixergy radio present in 2017.

A few of the companies he partnered with, together with Elite Day by day, are nonetheless in play. He has labored with jeweler-to-the-stars Richie Wealthy (not affiliated with RichRocks) for years, his specialty enterprise card Foldz Flat remains to be promoting branded pens and his long-time sponsor Warren Henry Auto dealership in Florida remains to be promoting automobiles.

However some 90% of startups fail, based on Investopedia, so it’s no shock that a few of his partnerships evaporated. The chain of spas he endorsed deserted its US enlargement, and the weight-reduction plan behind Cheban’s meal replacements fell out of vogue.

RichRocks quietly disappeared off social media earlier than the pandemic, and its web site is now an Indonesian playing web site. However it seems his enterprise accomplice Robin Rothfeld has moved on, specializing in a new enterprise along with her daughters, referred to as Headbandz Four Heroes.

Glam Display screen founder David Borish mentioned the enterprise ended “amicably” after they realized rivals have been ripping off their merchandise and will now not be aggressive in the market. However Borish remains to be creating new corporations and merchandise.

“It’s onerous to change into well-known — and keep well-known — and never fall off the fringe of the earth,” he instructed The Publish.

“They didn’t know what they have been doing, and I assumed they did”

Close to the finish of his time experimenting, he put his face on a few meals companies and his Instagram feed began trying like a unified mouth-watering meals model.

He endorsed Sushi MiKasa and Sushi Couture in the early 2010s, and he co-founded Burger Bandit in 2015 on Lengthy Island with Gene Broytman, who he bought the firm to after a few years, based on Lengthy Island native paper Newsday. 

In October 2015, Cheban was credited with jump-starting the “Rainbow bagel” pattern after Brooklyn-based the Bagel Retailer gifted him with a few swirled, multicolored bagels.

“The cotton sweet bagel is the smartest thing I’ve EVER had!!” he wrote on Instagram.

The identify “Foodgod” first appeared in 2016 after Kim’s then-husband Kanye West coined the time period, as Foodgod tells it. He legally modified his identify to Foodgod in 2019 and prefers individuals check with him as such — although a consultant instructed The Publish he wouldn’t thoughts being referred to as “Jonathan Cheban” when describing the historical past of his pre-Foodgod years.

Below the new moniker Foodgod, he joined Prepped Supply, a vacuum-sealed meal supply service he thought would convey his experiences to common individuals. 

However based on the actuality TV star, whereas he got here up with the firm’s identify and the emblem, he “didn’t make the proper offers” and solely owned a proportion of the firm. He was “compelled out,” he mentioned.

“Prepped [Delivery] wasn’t mine. They introduced me in — individuals I didn’t know. They bought the firm, and I form of obtained minimize out of it,” he mentioned, noting he determined that to realize his dream, he’d need to make one thing for himself. “Now it’s all gonna be me. Due to that actual occasion.” 

The corporate has had different ventures since then, providing Keto meals, however the Prepped Supply portion of the enterprise is over. The trademark expired in 2018, and the model hasn’t made a peep on social media since January 2019. 

“They didn’t know what they have been doing and I assumed they did,” he mentioned. The Publish tried to achieve present and previous executives at the firm however didn’t obtain a response.

“Eat or move????”

Simply over a decade after he first discovered fame on “KUWTK,” the aspect character with a few million followers would have double that variety of followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Foodgod constructed his meals empire on a model throughout YouTube, podcasts and social media the place he highlights the wackiest, yummiest and most out-of-this-world meals. By discovering drool-worthy content material on a broadly liked subject, he has curated a big viewers — 6.2 million followers on TikTok and three.5 million followers on Instagram alone. 

Final week, greater than 100,000 individuals responded to a single Instagram story — seen by 4 instances that many — in lower than 24 hours, he confirmed The Publish from his Instagram account.

His critiques are brash, excessive and large — identical to his character and the meals in the content material he curates. Virtually each put up on TikTok and Instagram comes with an motion assertion: “Tag somebody you’d eat this with” or “Fee from 1 to 10” or “Would you eat this? Let me know!” or “Eat or move????”

“I placed on a present. That’s my factor,” he mentioned. “I at all times attempt to ship it humorous.”

Since 2017, he has been sponsored by Burger King, a sweet membership supply service, Dunkin Donuts, IHOP, Jersey Mike’s, Unimaginable Burger and Vodka Beluga. He even teamed up with Atari for cellular video games “Meals Truck Frenzy” and a Foodgod-themed attraction in “Rollercoaster Tycoon.”

Nonetheless, it’s not hit after hit. In 2018, Foodgod partnered with BurgerIM, receiving $305,000 over a 12 months and a half for his endorsement, based on a authorized doc.

“HOLY BURGERS! I really like this spot @officialburgerim. WHO WILL SHARE THIS WITH ME?” he wrote on Instagram in typical Foodgod model. 

However Foodgod severed ties with the burger chain when a report claimed that the enterprise was scamming 1,200 “lecturers, cooks, accountants [and] cops” into paying franchise charges for companies the firm had no plans to run, Web page Six beforehand reported. 

‘Flying throughout [the world] is exhausting.’

Foodgod

As we speak, the entrepreneur has a workforce of individuals vetting enterprise pitches for him, led by his lawyer Steve Mandel, who helps facilitate his enterprise offers. The Publish tried to achieve Mandel, however a consultant mentioned he was unavailable.

“It’s a lot onerous work. Individuals don’t even perceive,” Foodgod instructed the Publish. “Flying throughout [the world] is exhausting. I’ve to construct a model after which work out how one can keep related.”

Way forward for Foodgod

Now, Foodgod is getting a second likelihood at meals supply service based mostly on cuisines he discovers in his travels and options on social media. The corporate, which has but to reveal its identify, will ship out meals with a menu based mostly on Foodgod’s travels with meals featured on his social-media accounts. Foodgod mentioned he’s presently growing the menu.

“We’re bringing the restaurant to you. It’s all impressed by wonderful issues that I’ve tried that different individuals can’t get, from throughout the world. All the things shall be impressed by issues like a dip from London which you could’t get right here,” he mentioned.

It additionally has a completely different enterprise technique, Foodgod mentioned, however declined to offer any additional particulars.

“We’ve got a CEO — somebody that runs it. We’re companions — it’s not a proportion [ownership] deal. They will’t push me out. These are studying curves,” he mentioned. “Now it’s a complete completely different story.”

That’s not the solely new product he’s launching. He’s now identified for his $20 Truffle Ketchup, which he launched in 2020, and the subsequent spherical of merchandise is salad dressings. He additionally mentioned he has a line of CBD-infused snacks and desserts coming quickly.

After that, he desires to department into everyman’s-foods and frozen meals with “Foodgod vibes” like cacio e pepe (a easy cheese pasta with pepper) he mentioned. 

“Some individuals need a $3,000 dinner in Ibiza; some need french fry pepperoni pizza. It’s not simply excessive finish — I need everybody to like my stuff,” he mentioned. 

He’s nonetheless taking small percentages and sponsorship offers with corporations like OceanBox, which delivers seafood, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit the place he’ll have a Foodgod merchandise this summer season, and Pure Inexperienced, a juice store the place he launched a blue banana milkshake on Might 5 and can launch a Foodgod pink ginger shot this summer season. 

As we speak, his companions say they worth his excessive requirements and culinary experience — and the way hands-on he’s. Ross Franklin, CEO of Pure Inexperienced, mentioned Foodgod requested 5 revisions of the product, did a blind tasting and helped design product branding earlier than approving the Foodgod-branded drinks.

However his companions nonetheless don’t underestimate the worth of his social-media following and his superstar connections. Throughout the blind tasting in Miami, Paris Hilton walked into the store and tried Jonathan’s new drink, mentioned Franklin.

“I assumed it was a humorous coincidence,” he instructed The Publish. “All people is aware of him, so he can convey them in.”