JAMBAR Combines Organic Ingredients with Celebrations of Music to Unite Communities
Thirty-five years after launching Power Bar with her late husband, food scientist Jenny Maxwell is aiming to showcase organic ingredients while celebrating music and active living with her new venture in the category, JAMBAR.
Launched in the Bay Area in October 2021, Maxwell told BevNET that JAMBAR emerged from a dinner table conversation she had with her daughter regarding a lack of organic energy bars that provided the complete package she was searching for. Available in four flavors – Chocolate Cha Cha, Malt Nut Medley, Jammin Jazzleberry and Musical Mango – each bar contains 9 to 10 grams of protein per serving.
“As a nutritionist, I’ve been fascinated by the advances and innovations in food technology. As a mother and athlete, there wasn’t really a bar that met my needs of premium, organic ingredients and great taste,” said Maxwell in a press release. “I love to create, so I embarked on a mission to see if I could use ancient grains, natural sweeteners, and new protein to create a delicious, healthy bar.”
JAMBAR’s launch came as pandemic-induced lockdowns and increased online shopping sustained a demand for energy bars in the market. According to research published by Mordor Intelligence, the energy bar market is projected to record a CAGR of 3.32% during the 2022-2027 forecast period. The brand hopes its hero ingredients, including oat bran, quinoa and brown rice, whey protein and sunflower protein, will help its products stand out from major competitors like CLIF and RXBAR.
All of JAMBAR’s products are produced in small batches in the company’s newly built headquarters in San Rafael, California and the brand has a core team of 15 employees.
The 8-month-old brand is currently available in approximately 150 to 200 brick-and-mortar stores across the Bay Area. JAMBAR is now working to expand its retail footprint in key areas including San Diego and Los Angeles, as well as the Pacific Northwest.
Beyond its ingredient profile, Maxwell said the brand is differentiated from its competitors both on the shelf and online by its commitment to community; JAMBAR involves itself in over 25 events a month, ranging from yoga events to bike races to music festivals. Additionally, the brand donates over 20,000 bars a month, said Maxwell.
In May, JAMBAR was the title sponsor for Ales & Trails 2022, a bike festival with bike races, recreational bike rides and live music. “That’s what we really focus on, bringing the community together through music and sports,” Maxwell said.
Additionally, JAMBAR donates fifty percent of its after-tax profits to music and active living causes, such as Bread & Roses, California Jazz Conservatory and Marin County Bicycle Coalition.
“The quality of our ingredients is so high, which I think a large food company wouldn’t do because our margins are not as big, we’re more concerned about quality and giving back than we are about trying to maximize our profit,” she said.
Looking ahead, Maxwell plans to expand the brand’s 4-SKU lineup with a new fruity, nut-free flavor that contains just 5 grams of sugar. Additionally, JAMBAR is building greater brand awareness through the use of social media while expanding its retail footprint by bringing on new distributors.
