Great Jones
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Great Jones is expanding into a new area of the kitchen tomorrow, with what co-founder and CEO Sierra Tishgart described as the startup’s biggest launch since it released its first products two years ago.
Ahead of launching the new bakeware line, Great Jones is announcing that it has raised $1.75 million in new funding.
The money comes from notable figures in the e-commerce world — Fellow founder Jake Miller and Very Great founders Eric Prum and Josh Williams — along with restauranteurs including Mimi Cheng’s co-founder Hannah Cheng, Lilia founder Sean Feeny, Kopitiam co-owner Moonlynn Tsai and Konbi co-owner Akira Akuto.
NEA partner Liza Landsman invested as well, and Tishgart said that Sweetgreen’s Nic Jammet and Parachute’s Ariel Kaye have joined the startup’s board of directors. Tishgart noted that Great Jones has worked on collaborations and product partnerships with many of these investors, and she also pointed to Kaye and Parachute as providing a model for how Great Jones can grow.
“To me, starting with sheets, [Kaye] has taken a product which people loved and thoughtfully expanded to a broad selection,” Tishgart said.
She sees a similar path for Great Jones — just as Parachute has become a “one-stop shop” for the home, Tishgart wants her startup to do the same for your kitchen. Great Jones launched with pots, pans and a Dutch oven, then added a baking sheet and is now expanding into a whole line of bakeware.
Image Credits: Great Jones
The new bakeware products (many of them inspired by classic Pyrex designs) include the Sweetie Pie ceramic pie dish, the Hot Dish ceramic casserole dish, the Breadwinner loaf pan, the Patty Cake cake pan and a new broccoli-colored version of the Holy Sheet baking sheet. You can buy the pieces à la carte (the Holy Sheet is $35, the pie pans are $45 and the bread pans are $65 for a pair) or purchase the whole set for $245.
Tishgart added that the company has had a “really, really busy year” with lockdowns and social distancing.
“People are cooking more than ever,” she said. “This is a category and an industry that have really been able to thrive on this.”
At the same time, Tishgart emphasized that the growing interest from millennials and younger consumers is a long-term trend that won’t go away when the pandemic is over — with the rise of celebrity chefs, high-profile restaurants and more food content than ever, food and cooking have become a bigger “cultural force” than ever.
There have been challenges as well, particularly as the pandemic has affected supply chains. Tishgart said the company has spent much of the year “chasing product,” but it benefited from using a variety of materials and working with a variety of manufacturers.
“This is one thing that upfront made for a more complicated supply chain,” she said. “But it’s a strong saving grace now, because we’re not reliant on one factory or one part of the world.”
The funding, Tishgart said, will allow Great Jones to invest in further product development and production. And while there are plenty of other cookware startups raising funding, she said that “it’s motivating, it’s exciting to see how other people interpret it” and that the different brands “all speak to different customers.”
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Great Jones, a startup selling pots, pans and even an oven directly to consumers, is introducing a new way to get help in the kitchen.
Potline is a free text message service where anyone can ask for recipe ideas, or get advice when things are going wrong in the middle of the cooking process, or get tips on how to clean up afterwards. Great Jones co-founder Sierra Tishgart argued this is “a really natural extension” of the brand, particularly since the company has already been getting customer service queries that aren’t really about its cookware.
“It’s great to see someone write in to say, ‘Hey I’m cooking for my new girlfriend or boyfriend, and I want a roast chicken recipe,’” Tishgart said.
As for why it’s doing this via text message, she said, “We really want this to feel like that you are in the middle of making pasta and your sauce isn’t landing — how would you look for help there? I would text somebody. We really realized that is just the fastest, most immediate and natural form of communication.”

Initially, Potline will be available from 4pm to 8pm Eastern time on Monday and Wednesday evenings. That’s only eight hours each week, but Tishgart said you’re going to be getting real-time feedback from an actual human being — namely Great Jones customer experience lead Gavy Scelzo.
“We don’t have a large team doing this,” Tishgart added. “This is very much an experiment for us. Gaby is answering the questions. We’re on our own text thread with seven of us in the office contributing, but it’s really going to be relying on Gaby’s expertise [and] a large database of recipes.”
Of course, if it’s successful, Potline could eventually expand to other days and times. Meanwhile, you can try it out for yourself by texting 1-814-BISCUIT.
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