NOFAB Demo Day 2026

Announcing: NOFAB Demo Day Launch

Pitch Your Food CPG Products at the Inaugural New Orleans Food & Beverage Event 

The New Orleans Food & Beverage group (NOFAB) and GNO, Inc. are excited to announce the first-ever NOFAB Demo Day designed to showcase and celebrate the promising food CPG startups our region is producing by the (baker’s) dozen these days. NOFAB Demo Day 2026 will take place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 5pm to 7pm, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Applications are now open for food CPG startups to be considered to pitch. The deadline to apply has passed. 

What is NOFAB?
NOFAB was formed several years ago by a local food CPG entrepreneur to serve as an informal meetup group. GNO, Inc. eventually took over managing the group and increased its membership to a regional footprint of 300+ food CPG founders and team members. Meetups are now quarterly with a programming component to them (e.g., topics, speakers). If you are a founder of a food consumer packed goods (CPG) startup located in the 10-parish region of Greater New Orleans, please consider joining NOFAB! There is no cost involved.

Timeline: 

  • Application Deadline: Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 11:59pm CST   
  • Selection of Finalists: Wednesday, February 4, 2026  
  • Demo Day: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 5pm to 7pm

Who is Eligible to Apply?
To be eligible, applicant companies must meet the following requirements: 

  • Headquarters: domiciled in the 10 parishes of Greater New Orleans. 
  • Early Stage or Growth Stage: Startups (or early scaleups) are encouraged to apply. 
  • Shelf-Ready: Shelf-stable products must already be produced in branded packaging. 
  • Social Media Marketing: Entrepreneurs should have an established social media presence that demonstrates some degree of consumer engagement. 
  • Pitch Deck: Should clearly articulate your food product, its value proposition, competitive advantage, target market, fundraising plan, and go-to-market strategy.  

What to Expect at Demo Day:
Our first-ever NOFAB Demo Day will take place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 5pm to 7pm, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center at 1225 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116. The event will kick off with remarks by leaders in the food CPG and innovation space followed by up to six startup pitches. Founders will have up to four minutes to pitch with another four minutes for Q&A. Industry experts serving as judges will provide feedback during Q&A sessions to follow. Light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.