by Micky Ellenbecker, Product Department Assistant
If you’ve ever purchased tofu or tempeh at the Co-op, you’re probably familiar with our popular local brand, The Simple Soyman. Not only do we sell their selection of products on our Grocery shelves, but they are our sole source of tofu and tempeh for our in-house offerings, such as Marinated Tofu, Tempeh Wrap, and Southern Fried Tofu. Their big news this fall is that they are retiring, and after 40 years of food production in Milwaukee one can’t deny their much-deserved transition. However, they don’t plan to shut their doors, but would prefer to find a buyer to continue the legacy they started! I reached out to owners Barbara and R Jay Gruenwald as to share more about one of our long standing local vendors with you all.
Tell us a bit about how you got started in the tofu business and a bit of your history.
R Jay and I were friends who volunteered at Outpost Natural Foods Co-op in the early ’80s, working together on community meals and making large quantities of food. We created Tofu Sloppy Joe for the co-op’s food booth at a local festival and it was a huge hit, with the leftovers quickly selling out over the next week. We realized that there was a need for ready to eat vegetarian foods and decided to start a food business to sell our creation.
In 1983 we began The Simple Soyman. Our first product was Saucy Jo, the tofu joe from the festival. Joined by my mom, Margaret Cassel, we rented kitchen space from Milwaukee’s tofu company, The Magic Bean, and cooked several days a month.
In 1984, R Jay and I married. As we left the church, we were showered with soybeans by our friends and families. The Simple Soyman had become a family business.
When The Magic Bean closed, we purchased their equipment and became Milwaukee’s tofu company. The Soyman grew slowly over the next few years, gradually adding new products along the way. In 1993, we purchased Madison’s tofu company, Bountiful Bean Soyfoods and doubled in size overnight. We currently deliver mainly in the Milwaukee and Madison areas, producing 20 food products with the help of the eight amazing people on our staff.
How long have you been selling your products at our stores?
We’ve been selling to Willy Street Co-op for 30 years!
Tell us about your process for making tofu and what makes it special?
We use an open-kettle cooking method to make our tofu. Everything is hands on: the cooking, the curding, the forming, and packaging. Our tofu is fresh, made three days a week and delivered the same week. We use locally grown organic beans.
What changes have you seen in your industry over the decades?
Most of the small mom-and-pop tofu shops have disappeared. The majority of tofu on the market is made by large corporations, many owned by Korean or Japanese interests. We are looking for someone to take over our business who is interested in continuing to make tofu in Wisconsin. The work is challenging but rewarding.
What message do you have for our Co-op shoppers?
We’d like to thank everyone who’s purchased our foods over the years: Tofu, Tempeh, Hummus, Taboolie, Tasty, Fiesta-Fu, and Sesame Circles. We’d also like to encourage folks to eat more plant-based foods to help the planet and their own bodies thrive.
If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the potential purchase of The Simple Soyman, you can reach Barb and R Jay at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for all the details.