In the realm of student entrepreneurship, a USC student and an alum were brought together by their shared passion for the food industry. Im’peccable Chicken, a start-up founded by Melina Chang, a sophomore majoring in accounting, and Riley Yen, a 2023 USC alum strives to offer its customers high-quality, ready-to-eat chicken. 

Im’peccable Chicken launched its products online Oct. 10, and Chang and Yen are in talks with franchises such as 7-Eleven, H Mart, 99 Ranch Market and Bristol Farms. 

Coming from the inspiration of “I am peckable,” the founders aim to offer chicken breast meat products that are alternatives for artificially flavored protein bars or protein shakes.

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Their core value is to provide healthier, more natural sources of protein for their customers, both in and outside of USC, Yen said. Although the business does not yet have a physical store, customers can order products online and pick them up at USC Village.

Chang said that the idea of running her own business sprouted from her observations after she moved to the United States. Seeing no products that resembled the instant chicken breast she found back in the Asian market, she reached out to her family in Taiwan, who are also experienced in the food industry for advice. It took her six months to put the idea into practice. She signed a lease for the manufacturing facility last April. 

Chang said she worked long hours to build her business. She is responsible for monitoring the production, operations and retail stores. 

“For day to day, I start the day pretty early at 4 a.m. It’s hectic,” Chang said. “Entrepreneurship is really hard … I don’t have to report to anyone. So the most important thing is to keep yourself accountable.” 

The business is still in an early stage, so its founders are focusing on sharing the brand concept to gain recognition among target customers — those who care about healthy diet and protein intake. Yen said his motivation for creating the business stems from his visits to Taiwan.

“When I went back [to Taiwan], I went to bike around the country. When I did that, I was able to see this chicken product, this ready-to-eat chicken breast, at all of the 7-Elevens and the Family Marts,” Yen said. “After doing some research, we found out this is huge in Asia, like a billion-dollar market, but why is it not in America?”

Yen, who is a videographer, promotes the business through social media platforms, which is how he attracted some of the first customers. Jenna Wu, an alum who graduated with a degree in business administration from USC, said she holds great expectations for the growing business since the product can promote healthier eating habits. 

“This specific product creates immense value for me personally,” Wu said, “ I need this nutrient at this hour, but I don’t have time to sit down and have a full meal. Then I’ll eat that. Now they have a L.A. pickup point so it doesn’t need to be shipped to me.” 

The founders are striving to expand the size of their business to offer a wider variety of products to its customers. They intend to build a community for people who care about convenience and healthy food intake. 

In the meantime, Im’peccable Chicken aims to fulfill the needs of people who care about a balanced diet and the intake of proteins. 

“If you care about your health, about what you’re putting in your body, but you also care about convenience, and you don’t want to sacrifice taste, then this is that product for you,” Yen said. “Here we actually want to do it right and make it healthy for the long term.”