In the R&D phase, when checking the bake time required for a full melt, Levine’s team found that cutting the sandwich in half gave a good look at the progress. But that diagonal cut also expedited the heat-up time. That discovery led to what is now its signature break-and-bake format.

“It’s still one cohesive product, but it’s basically perforated,” Levine explained. “You take it out of the freezer, crack it open, and then the heat gets to the inside much faster, making it even more conve­nient for consumers.”

Flavor development was broached strategically, yet simplistically. Sticking to four classic but sophisticated profiles, the brand paid homage to its flagship prod­uct’s top-selling flavors: Simple Country with Cheddar, Cinnamon Raisin with Brie, Challah with Swiss and Jalapeño with Gruyere.

“I learned through the Grilled Cheese Nights that you can be extremely clever with your flavor profiles and people might still not be interested,” Levine said. “The vast majority of people who eat potato chips go for the plain olive oil and sea salt. So, you have to lead with the plain flavors, but innovative flavors — while they may never be best sellers — serve a function of creating a little cult following or allegiance to the company because we might be the only ones making that variety.”

Marketing went hand-in-hand with the R&D process. In the early stages, when customers ordered their loaf of bread for the week, Levine included a compli­mentary grilled cheese sandwich if they agreed to review the product or provide feedback via an R&D survey.