What problem does Proud Grill solve?
Q-Swiper: A bristle free cleaning system that actually works and is so easy to use. Many replacement options for the dangerous wire grill style brush like wood scrapers or nylon bristle brushes are not effective in removing all the grease and grime.
Slide & Serve BBQ Skewers: Your food on traditional cylindrical Skewers tend to rotate when you turn them and when it’s time to eat it always a struggle to get the food off. With our unique flat design, you are guaranteed a nice even cook because your veggies and meat won’t spin. When it’s time to eat, go from grill to plate and easily slide off what you want to eat! Plus no need to throw out wooden skewers as these are dishwasher safe and reusable.
Connect it Magnetic BBQ Tool Set: No one wants to have multiple tools around when grilling, the Connect it Tool Set keeps it simple because 2 tools connect (with the magnetic handles) for 4 uses – Fork, Spatula, Tongs and Server! Plus they are easy to store on top of each other or magnetically hang from the grill shelf.
Tell us about the founder. What is their background?
The founder of the Proud Grill Company, Paul Cira, has a long career in Marketing and Sales in the consumer products industry. He became an entrepreneur in 2005 when he helped found an Oral Care products company – BrushPoint Innovations. After divesting this company in 2016, he founded the Proud Grill Company in 2018 with the mission to make the backyard grilling experience better! Paul is an avid griller always looking to please his 4 children with home prepared meals.
How did they come up with the idea?
In 2016, Paul was grilling when barefoot, he stepped on what he thought was a small piece of glass. Upon examination he found he actually stepped on a steel wire grill bristle that was stuck in his big toe. After doing some research he found out how common this problem was and he immediately stopped using the brush and looked for a better solution. You see these bristles can end up undetected on grill grates, stick to your grilled food and become ingested – usually resulting in a visit to the emergency room. If it hurt this much in your foot he knew how painful and harmful this could be if swallowed. Hence, the Q-Swiper was born shortly after this incident as a safe bristle-free and wire option that actually works by swiping away grease and grime with a moist food-safe grill cleaning wipe! Launched in 2018, with consumer awareness becoming elevated of this problem through Social Media and new stories, the Q-Swiper has become Proud Grill’s flagship product that has since spawned Paul’s entrepreneurial and expertise with designing innovative BBQ accessories under the Proud Grill Brand that help make grilling better.
How can this transform the world or our day-to-day lives?
Over 75% of households own some type of grill and today you can now find homes that have outdoor kitchen areas or multiple grill types including gas, smoker, charcoal, griddle and ceramic grills. Historically we didn’t have the same discipline when cleaning our outdoor grill surfaces like we do in our kitchen. For example, we often would clean our dirty grill grates using a previously used spoiled or dirty grill brush or scrubber – cleaning “dirty with dirty” just doesn’t make sense. With the trend to cleanliness, health, wellness and safety the Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner checks all the boxes. The tough, moist grill cleaning wipe (moistened with recognized food contact safe ingredients and natural cleaning agents) provides an easy way to get a clean and healthy grill surface every time you cook and since it is bristle-free no one needs to worry about the safety risks of family and friends.
With more time spent outside cooking the past two years, consumers are looking for innovative tools that make this experience easier and better, and they often share this with family and friends as grilling goes beyond cooking, it’s an event and experience that brings friends and family together.
What do customers love most about Proud Grill?
They love how easy they are to use and how it makes the backyard grilling experience better. Specifically:
Q-Swiper: It’s Grill Cleaning Made Easy – safe, easy to use and effective and chosen as a Good Housekeeping 2021 Cleaning Product Award Winner.
Slide & Serve BBQ Skewers: They love the simple unique flat design that makes Kabobs better. Easier to grill, serve and eat! These Skewers also look awesome on the plate. Plus, they are reusable and dishwasher safe.
Connect it Magnetic BBQ Tool Set – These tools were designed to be cool and functional. They love the versatility and simplicity of having just 2 tools to solve all of their grill preparation needs.
Where can people get this product?
You can find all of the Proud Grill Products, including the Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner, Slide & Serve BBQ Skewers and Connect it Magnetic BBQ Tool Set at Ace Hardware stores, Amazon and the Grommet. The Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner is more widely available and can also be found nationally at Lowe’s.