OUR STORY

It all started in early 2025 when two best friends, Leilani and Macy, who on the very first day they met, gave each other the nickname “chicken.” From that moment on, the bond was instant.

As their friendship grew, they discovered they shared the same appetite and an unshakable love for chicken nuggets.

Between their busy lives, they noticed something missing in the frozen food aisle: a delicious chicken nugget that was actually crunchy, flavorful, and healthy.

For Leilani, food has always been personal. Her parents immigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. in the 1980s to open restaurants, and her grandfather, a professional chef, taught her how to cook from a young age. She grew up recreating her favorite street foods from Taiwan, especially her favorite, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, known for its bold flavor, juicy interior, and addictively crispy coating.

So when she and Macy set out to reinvent the frozen chicken nugget, Leilani drew on those same Taiwanese marination and breading techniques to craft a nugget that kept all the flavor and tenderness of fresh chicken, while achieving a crunch that actually stayed crunchy after freezing. 

After countless taste tests and late-night nugget trials, they finally nailed it: a lower sodium, lower carb chicken nugget that didn’t just rival the ones on store shelves (like Just Bare or Real Good)… it beat them.

And just like that, Pure Nug was born. From two best friends, a shared craving, and a family legacy of flavor.