# Banza

> Banza is a New York food company founded by Brian and Scott Rudolph in 2014. It sells chickpea pasta and other familiar packaged foods through grocery retailers, online channels and foodservice. Its range now also includes brown rice pasta and a wheat-and-chickpea protein pasta line, extending a business built around making beans easier to eat.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Founders:** Brian Rudolph (Co-founder and CEO), Scott Rudolph (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Chickpea Pasta, Chickpea Mac & Cheese, Chickpea Rice, Frozen Pizza, Protein Waffles
- **Notable:** Named one of TIME’s 25 Best Inventions of 2015., Won the $500,000 Accelerate Michigan prize, reported by Emory in December 2015., Reached roughly 5,000 retail stores by August 2017.

## Products & services

- **Chickpea Pasta** — Chickpea-based, GFCO-certified gluten-free pasta in familiar shapes.
- **Chickpea Mac & Cheese** — Boxed, deluxe and microwave formats, including dairy and vegan varieties.
- **Chickpea Rice** — Rice-shaped chickpea alternative, introduced in 2019; not the same product as brown rice pasta.
- **Frozen Pizza** — Frozen pizzas and plain crusts made with chickpea-based crust, including vegan options.
- **Protein Waffles** — Frozen waffles in homestyle, blueberry and chocolate chip varieties.
- **Brown Rice Pasta and Mac** — Separate brown rice range; certified gluten-free.
- **Wheat Protein Pasta and Mac & Cheese** — Semolina wheat combined with chickpeas; contains gluten and uses a separate production facility from gluten-free lines.

## Achievements

- Named one of TIME’s 25 Best Inventions of 2015.
- Won the $500,000 Accelerate Michigan prize, reported by Emory in December 2015.
- Reached roughly 5,000 retail stores by August 2017.
- TIME’s 2024 profile described Banza as the fifth-largest U.S. pasta brand and reported over 30,000 stores.
- Launched its first wheat-based product line in April 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Introduced Wheat Protein Pasta and Wheat Protein Mac & Cheese; initial TikTok Shop availability followed by an announced nationwide retail rollout.
- **2026-05** — Brian discussed the first wheat pasta launch and listening to fans on This Is TASTE, episode 773.
- **2026-06** — Campbell’s announced gluten-free condensed Banza Chickpea Pasta and Chicken Soup with a suggested retail price of $1.99 per can.
- **2026-09** — Brian Rudolph appeared on How I Built This, discussing the original production failures and Banza’s response to a 2024 food-safety controversy.

## Links

- Website: https://www.eatbanza.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/banza/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/eatbanza
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatbanza/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatBanza/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatbanza

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/banza
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-04