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"My family always joked about it," says Trey Taylor. "I grew up in Texas and we ate a lot of beans … and when everyone else was eating ramen in college, I was eating beans. I had a Crock-Pot I used to cook them and I ate them for breakfast. I put them in burritos ... for me, it was all about the beans."

He had no idea that his love for the world’s favorite "magical fruit" would eventually launch his career in the bean business.

Born in Arkansas, made in Wisconsin

These days, Taylor and co-owner Matt Brown are at the helm of Ser!ous Bean Co., a bold, imaginative food company that aims to capture the imagination of food lovers across the country. They’re doing so with their line of one-of-a-kind baked beans, which are available in Sweet & Sassy Dr. Pepper, Buckin’ Buffalo, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle and JW’s Prized Cracked Pepper.

Taylor met partner Brown while they were working together at Allens Canning in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The two hit it off, and by the time 2015 arrived, they were embarking on the launch of their very own fledgling food business, Ser!ous Bean Co.

"People ask us the question ‘why beans?’ all the time," notes Taylor. "And for us it was more, ‘Why not beans?’ Beans are on trend. They’re high protein and high fiber, and they’re really high in nutrients. The brands that are out there have been doing it for a long time; but the flavors on the market were really boring. So we decided we wanted to take what could be a really cool product and make it exactly that."

From there, Taylor and Brown created a fun, imaginative brand featuring an adorable bean mascot named Ace, who was "born to revolutionize beans."

"He’s a fun little guy," says Taylor. "And he’s got just two things on his mind: making bold, original beans and having fun while he does it."

Taylor says consumers really embraced the fun, energetic mission of the brand and Ser!ous Bean Co. business grew quickly. Before they knew it their growth was at a point where they knew they needed to ask for help.

"Our forte was in developing flavors and the brand," he says. "But we were a two person show, and we found ourselves caught up in a lot of the day to day."

In response, they looked to their partners at Lakeside Foods for help. After much discussion, the two entrepreneurs sold the brand to Lakeside. But Taylor says they remain involved as consultants, taking charge of recipe development and a good deal of brand direction.

"We wanted to maintain a very nimble, edgy brand," he says. "And partnering with Lakeside has allowed us to do exactly that."

Not your basic beans

What can you expect when you crack into a can of Ser!ous Beans? We asked Taylor to walk us through the motions.

"In our eyes, we viewed the cracked pepper as the most traditional, notes Taylor. "About 40 years ago there was a company that made a bean for restaurants and food service. It was a plain, traditional baked bean. As we were doing our research to start Ser!ous Bean Co., we ran into a retired employee (JW), and we picked his brain. Along the way, he took us to his house, went into his closet and pulled an old box from the top shelf. Out of the box he took this sort of crinkled up handwritten recipe for beans … and gave it to us.

"This isn’t a Netflix story. It really happened. We took it and tweaked it. We wanted to add a twist, so we added freshly cracked black pepper and created JW's Prized Cracked Pepper Baked Beans. You have to love cracked pepper to love this."

"Dr. Pepper is great with barbecue. People that drink it know that," he says. "And so many people use it in their sauces and marinades. So from our standpoint, it really made sense to add it to our beans. These are slightly sweet with some good character."

"Buffalo is a little bit different," he says. "It’s a pretty well known flavor, but no one had put it into beans. It’s very tangy with a little bit of heat. We’re using a Louisiana-based hot sauce in the recipe, so it has a really bold, authentic flavor."

Taylor says that, despite the fact that he likes each of the flavors, his favorite is the sweet and smoky chipotle, which he and his family enjoy at least once a week.

"They really are a gourmet bean," he says. "We used really high quality seasonings including adobo seasoning that’s just phenomenal … and they’re just really tasty. We’ll buy a rotisserie chicken, pour it on top. Or make nachos."

If you love the sounds of Ser!ous Bean Co.’s current offerings, Taylor says there are at least a few others in the works. In fact, they’re targeting next spring for the release of the next flavor.

In the meantime, you can get your Serious Bean Co. beans at Meijer and Walmart locations throughout the Milwaukee metro area.