Seven years later, Kral has amassed a leadership team with decades of experience at beverage brands such as Tropicana and Gatorade. The Elk Grove Village-based company launched its first vegan protein water products last month and is attempting to tap into the swelling base of consumers adding plant-based products to their diets.
Though small compared to some of its protein drink competitors, Protein2o is growing. Revenue in 2020 was up about 60 percent to roughly $30 million, Kral said. But it is not all sunshine for the still relatively unknown brand. As COVID-19 sank its teeth in last March, Protein2o’s brick-and-mortar sales fell off a cliff, Kral said.