Mike Rolland Yough is the story of a food industry veteran who spent decades helping restaurants build brands, saw an online trend for a two-ingredient Greek yogurt pizza dough and decided to turn it into a frozen pizza company. Rolland is the co-founder and CEO of Yough, a brand that makes pizza with a crust of Greek yogurt and organic wheat flour. In March 2026, Yough announced a strategic investment from Founders Row alongside its nationwide debut in Target, with three varieties: Mozzarella Cheese, Uncured Pepperoni and Farmer’s Vegetable.
This guide to Mike Rolland Yough covers the founders, the viral recipe behind the product, the production problems the team had to solve, the shift from direct-to-consumer to national retail, the funding picture and the lessons other founders can take from it. Every claim comes from the company’s own pages or published coverage, and where a number is company-reported or sources differ, we say so.
Mike Rolland Yough: Who Is the Founder?
Mike Rolland, who appears in some coverage as Michael Rolland, is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Yough. In the company’s investment announcement, reported by Dairy Foods and Food Business News, he is identified as co-founder and CEO, and Dealroom lists him as CEO among four founders. Yough operates under the legal name The Yogurt Dough Company, Inc., doing business as yough!, according to the website footer.
What stands out about the Mike Rolland Yough story is the way a social-media recipe became a company. Yough describes itself as the original yogurt dough and says it is the first frozen pizza and dough made with Greek yogurt, a claim the company makes about itself. The brand’s tagline is “Pizza with Benefits,” and its homepage promises more protein, fewer calories and no junk ingredients.
The Four Co-Founders
Yough was started by a group, not a single founder. Dealroom lists Mike Rolland as CEO, Jason Miller as COO, Haleigh Rosa and Corey Arenson as co-founders. The Founders Row press release says the company was founded by Rolland and Miller, so different sources emphasize different people.
FoodNavigator’s Startup Spotlight tells how the team came together. Rolland said that during COVID, his co-founder Corey Arenson reached out and said they had something with Yough. Rolland, Arenson, Miller and Rosa became the four co-founders. The website’s About page describes the beginning as a group of friends who refused to choose between good food and good health.
That mix of friends and complementary roles is typical of early food brands. For Mike Rolland Yough, the CEO handles the commercial side, the COO is a certified public accountant who worked on formulation, and the co-founders contribute networks and a charitable mission.
A Viral Recipe and a Personal Reason
The product idea started online. The company says it was inspired by the popular “2-ingredient dough” recipe that circulates on social media, made from Greek yogurt and flour. FoodNavigator reports that Rolland first heard about a Greek yogurt pizza trend online and never imagined it would lead to his next big venture.
There was also a personal reason. In the Founders Row announcement, Jason Miller said he began experimenting with Greek yogurt dough after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and looking for a way to keep enjoying foods like pizza. The About page also says some of the founders were living with health conditions and had strict doctor’s orders to give up pizza. Miller’s account is his own public statement, and we include it only as part of the company’s origin story.
The brand’s claim is that eating the pizza left the founders feeling good, with no sluggish crash and no bloat. Those are the company’s experiences, not medical findings, and individual results vary. The origin of Mike Rolland Yough is therefore a mix of a viral hack and a personal quest for foods that people can still enjoy.
From Delivery Veteran to Food Brand Founder
Rolland came to Yough from the services side of food. FoodNavigator reports that he spent decades in the food delivery space. He told the publication that helping restaurants build their brands was great, but he had always dreamed of having his own food brand.
When his co-founders approached him, he said, the timing felt right to create something they could scale from scratch. His experience in delivery gave him a view of how consumers buy food and how restaurants and brands market themselves, which suits a company that started with direct-to-consumer sales.
The pivot from enabling other people’s brands to building one is a common route for experienced operators. For Mike Rolland Yough, the background in food delivery informs how the company thinks about channels, customers and partners.
The Greek Yogurt Dough Behind Mike Rolland Yough
The core product is the dough. Rolland told FoodNavigator that the crust contains only organic wheat flour, nonfat Greek yogurt, sea salt and baking powder, and summarized the rule: if you cannot pronounce it, it does not go in. The website says the dough skips seed oils and preservatives, and the FAQ says Greek yogurt adds protein and a light, fluffy texture.
The brand also describes the crust as gut-friendly and says it contains postbiotics. That claim is marketing language, and shoppers should treat it as the company’s description rather than a health guarantee. The company positions the pizza as higher in protein and lower in calories than conventional frozen pizza, and its homepage banner advertises 40 to 50 grams of protein, which shoppers should check against the nutrition label for the specific product and serving.
The Back to the Basics section of the site says frozen pizza lost its way and that pizza and bread in Italy and Europe are still made with fewer ingredients and less processing. This is the heart of how Mike Rolland Yough differentiates itself: a short ingredient list and a protein story, applied to a food people already love.
The Pizzas and the Pricing
Yough sells three pizzas, listed on its website: Mozzarella Cheese, Uncured Pepperoni and Farmer’s Vegetable. Each lists a regular price of $12.99 on the site, and at the time of writing the product pages showed a sold-out status, so shoppers should check current availability.
Customer ratings on the site are mostly strong: 4.7 out of 5 across 65 reviews for the cheese pizza, 5.0 across 15 reviews for the vegetable pizza and 4.4 across 7 reviews for the pepperoni. Testimonials on a company’s own site are selected by the company. One reviewer said her family, including three young boys, finished their pizzas in less than 24 hours, and another asked for the brand in stores, which reflects the demand for retail distribution.
The brand also runs an Ambassador Program and a store locator, and its original product concept included other doughs, as the company’s LinkedIn page mentions pretzels, bagels and cinnamon rolls as future ideas. For Mike Rolland Yough, the pizza is the flagship, and the dough is a platform for other products.
Production Troubles and Yough! 2.0
The most revealing part of the story is the production problem. Rolland told FoodNavigator that when the company geared up for its second production run, issues started appearing: the moisture in the Greek yogurt, dough sticking and equipment not designed for this kind of pizza. The co-packer in Wisconsin did its best, he said, but fixing it properly would have required new, expensive equipment.
The team went back to the drawing board. According to the interview, they attended the Pizza Expo and tested equipment in the Netherlands, working closely with the head of product and Miller to reformulate. Rolland said it went down to the wire, but they ended up with a product that could scale, which he calls Yough! 2.0, with a crispy, fluffy crust and a sauce that tastes great even frozen.
Yogurt-based dough behaves differently from traditional yeast dough, and mass production lines are tuned for conventional recipes. Solving this was necessary before any national launch. In the story of Mike Rolland Yough, the reformulation is the turning point between a clever recipe and a product that can ship at scale.
DTC First, Then Specialty Retail
The company started online. Rolland said they began with direct-to-consumer sales to test the market but knew retail was key. The team then worked with specialty grocers such as Erewhon in Los Angeles and Pop-Up Grocer in New York City, which are known as testing grounds for emerging food brands.
To navigate larger retail relationships, Rolland said they leveraged their network and brought on partners such as Cultivate CPG, a consulting firm. The stated goal at the time was to make Yough a staple in specialty stores across the country.
The homepage now shows retailer logos including Erewhon, Target, Sprouts and Pop-Up Grocer, among others, and a store locator. Logos show where the brand has appeared, but not volume, so readers should check the locator for current availability. The sequencing, DTC first and retail second, is a deliberate strategy that Mike Rolland Yough used to prove demand before approaching a mass retailer.
The Target Launch
In March 2026, Yough announced its nationwide debut at Target alongside the Founders Row investment. Dairy Foods and Nosh reported the launch as just under 2,000 Target stores, while Food Business News reported approximately 2,500 stores, so the exact store count differs by source. Dealroom’s summary uses nearly 2,000.
The launch included the three varieties and positioned Yough as the first frozen pizza built on a Greek yogurt dough. In the announcement, Rolland said frozen pizza is one of the most loved foods in the grocery store, but the dough has remained largely unchanged in the mainstream aisle, and that the idea was for the dough to deliver the same comfort with more protein and cleaner ingredients.
A national Target launch is a major step for a young brand. It brings volume and visibility but also demands consistent supply, promotions and sales velocity. For Mike Rolland Yough, the launch moved the company from specialty shelves to the mainstream freezer aisle.
The For Everyone Foundation
The company’s mission extends beyond food. Co-founder Haleigh Rosa is described on the About page as a disability advocate from South Florida. While working at an NBC News affiliate at age 25, she was injured in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down, according to the company. After noticing a lack of representation of the disabled community, she created the For Everyone Foundation, which works to bring inclusivity and accessibility to a new generation of consumers.
Yough says it has teamed up with the foundation and that a percentage of profits will support Rosa’s mission, according to its LinkedIn page. The FAQ also describes the partnership. The company has not published the exact percentage, so readers should look for updates if they want specifics.
Cause-driven brands can build loyalty when the commitment is genuine and visible. For Mike Rolland Yough, the foundation partnership adds a social purpose to a nutrition-focused product, and it reflects the personal backgrounds of the founding group.
Funding: From Friends and Family to Founders Row
Yough’s funding has been modest and mostly undisclosed. FoodNavigator reports that the company began with a friends-and-family round in 2022. In November 2025, Rolland said the team had been very conservative and was running a lean operation, but was gearing up to raise a priced round to scale retail relationships and meet demand.
In March 2026, Founders Row, a founder-led investment platform and creative studio focused on emerging consumer brands, announced a strategic investment. Financial terms were not disclosed. According to Food Business News, Founders Row will also act as a strategic advisor, providing marketing support, brand-building resources and operational guidance, and the capital will support the national retail rollout, marketing and continued product innovation. Dealroom lists the round as March 2026 early venture capital with no amount.
Because no amount has been published, we do not estimate one. For comparison with other startups raising capital, see our Funding News section. How Mike Rolland Yough uses this investment and any larger priced round will determine how quickly the brand can broaden its product line.
Where Mike Rolland Yough Fits in Frozen Pizza
Frozen pizza is a large, familiar category with strong incumbents, and the shelf is crowded with traditional brands and a growing set of better-for-you challengers. Yough’s pitch is that the dough, the base of the product, has barely changed in the mainstream aisle.
The company positions itself with three attributes, simple ingredients, higher protein and lower calories, which match current consumer interest in protein and clean labels. The brand also leans on a social-media-friendly origin: a trending recipe that consumers already recognize.
In practical terms, Mike Rolland Yough competes by offering a recognizable food with a different nutrition profile, and its test is whether shoppers who try it for the protein come back for the taste. Reviews on the company’s site are encouraging, but independent sales data and repeat purchase rates will show how well the product performs at Target.
What Could Slow Mike Rolland Yough Down
Every young frozen food brand faces predictable hurdles. This section is analysis, not reporting.
Price. At $12.99 on the brand’s site, Yough sits above many mainstream frozen pizzas, so shelf pricing and promotions will matter at Target.
Production consistency. The Greek yogurt crust was hard to scale once already, and any change in co-packer, equipment or volume can reintroduce problems.
Trend dependence. Part of the brand’s appeal comes from a viral recipe, and online trends can fade.
Claims. Terms such as gut-friendly, postbiotics and high protein need clear, defensible support, and shoppers should rely on the nutrition label.
Retail velocity. Mass retailers review sales regularly, and slow-moving items can lose space. These risks are normal for a company at this stage, and the Founders Row advisory support gives Mike Rolland Yough resources to manage them.
Leadership Style and What’s Next
Rolland leads as an operator-founder who emphasizes persistence. His advice to other entrepreneurs in FoodNavigator was to start small, iterate fast and not be afraid to pivot at roadblocks, and he said founders need “delusional enthusiasm” because there will be naysayers and unexpected challenges.
The visible roadmap includes expanding retail distribution, growing the product line and building a broader platform around high-protein comfort foods, as stated in the Founders Row announcement. The company’s earlier materials also mention other doughs and baked goods, so the product range could widen.
How Mike Rolland Yough balances rapid retail growth with product quality and a lean team will define its next chapter.
Lessons From the Mike Rolland Yough Journey
The Mike Rolland Yough journey offers practical lessons for founders, especially in food and CPG.
1. Start from a real behavior. A viral recipe showed that people were already making the product at home.
2. Pair operators with product people. A food-delivery veteran, a CPA who tested recipes and cause-driven co-founders covered many bases.
3. Expect production surprises. A recipe that works in a kitchen can fail on a manufacturing line.
4. Prove it online first. DTC sales and specialty stores built evidence before a national launch.
5. Choose investors who add services. Founders Row offers marketing and operational guidance as well as capital.
6. Keep the label short. A four-ingredient crust is easy to explain and remember.
7. Add purpose. The For Everyone Foundation partnership gives the brand a story beyond nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Yough? Yough was co-founded by Mike Rolland, who is CEO, Jason Miller, who is COO, Corey Arenson and Haleigh Rosa, according to Dealroom and press coverage.
What is the Mike Rolland Yough story? It is the story of a food delivery veteran who joined three co-founders to turn the viral two-ingredient Greek yogurt dough into a frozen pizza brand, launching online, then in specialty stores and in March 2026 at Target.
What is Yough pizza made of? Rolland says the crust contains organic wheat flour, nonfat Greek yogurt, sea salt and baking powder.
What flavors does Yough offer? Mozzarella Cheese, Uncured Pepperoni and Farmer’s Vegetable.
How much does Yough pizza cost? The company’s website lists $12.99 per pizza. Prices at retail may differ.
Where can I buy Yough? At Target stores nationwide, in specialty stores and online, according to the company. Check the store locator for current availability.
How many Target stores carry Yough? Reports range from just under 2,000 to approximately 2,500, depending on the source.
Has Mike Rolland Yough raised funding? The company raised a friends-and-family round in 2022 and announced a strategic investment from Founders Row in March 2026. Terms were not disclosed.
What is the For Everyone Foundation? A foundation created by co-founder Haleigh Rosa to bring inclusivity and accessibility to a new generation of consumers. Yough says a percentage of its profits supports the mission.
Is Yough pizza healthy? The company markets it as higher protein, lower calorie and made with simple ingredients, but readers should check the nutrition label and consult a professional about dietary needs.
Conclusion
Mike Rolland Yough shows how a trending recipe, a mixed team of founders and persistence through production problems can lead to a national retail launch. From the original two-ingredient dough idea to a reformulated crust, specialty grocers, Founders Row and Target, Rolland and his co-founders have built a frozen pizza brand around a simple promise: familiar comfort food with a better nutrition profile. Their story is a useful case study in solving manufacturing problems before scaling.
The open question for Mike Rolland Yough is whether shoppers will keep buying the pizza once the novelty fades and whether the company can maintain quality as volume grows. If it can, Yough may become a lasting name in better-for-you frozen food.
For more founder journeys, read Michael Fedele’s Throne Sport Coffee, Molly Sims’ YSE Beauty and Alvaro Silberstein’s Wheel the World on Denote Press, or browse more Founder Stories.
This article is for information only and is not medical or nutrition advice. Product and nutrition claims are the company’s. Check labels for ingredients, allergens and nutrition, including dairy and wheat.
Sources and further reading: Yough, Yough About page, Yough FAQ, FoodNavigator Startup Spotlight, Food Business News, Dairy Foods, Dairy Processing, Nosh, Dealroom, Yough on LinkedIn.
