Upside Foods pauses construction of its Rubicon plant in Illinois

Upside Foods/Cultivated chicken

Upside Foods put its planned 187,000 sq ft Rubicon cultivated meat facility in Glenview, Illinois on hold, pivoting instead to expand its EPIC pilot facility in Emeryville, California. CEO Uma Valeti said expansion at EPIC would cost substantially less than Rubicon construction while achieving similar early-phase capacity and timeline, making it more efficient while new products undergo regulatory review.

• Rubicon plant: planned 187,000 sq ft facility in Glenview; announced September 2023, paused February 2024
• Original Rubicon capacity: millions of pounds annually with potential for 30+ million pounds expansion
• Alternative: EPIC expansion in Emeryville achieves similar early-phase capacity and timeline at lower cost
• Rationale: more efficient path while FDA/USDA regulatory reviews of ground chicken and new cell lines proceed