Junkless Is ‘Ready For Anything’ As It Platforms Into Protein

Better-for-you granola bar brand Junkless Foods is platforming with a protein-packed portfolio expansion.

Founded in 2018 by former Kellogg Company executives Ernie Pang and Larry Beyer, Junkless started as the granola bar brand under the Simply Eight Food company (Simply Eight would later discontinue Crispy Crunchy Cookies to make Junkless its standalone brand).

In October 2023, Impact Capital – Vitaminwater and BodyArmor founder Mike Repole’s private equity firm – acquired a majority stake in the brand.

Centered on a tentpole callout “No Fake Stuff,” the brand’s Chewy Granola Bars are available in seven flavors (Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, Double Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Roll, Drizzled Birthday Cake, and Drizzled Berries and Cream).

While Junkless leans into a clean ingredient list free from preservatives and artificial flavors or colors with less sugar than many of its competitors, it does use sunflower oil, bucking the trend toward seed-oil-free formulations.

What drew Repole to the brand was the “amazing trademark” that had the potential to become a “multi-category play,” said Junkless president Brian Camus (who has worked with Repole from Vitaminwater through Pirate’s Booty and BodyArmor). “Our vision is to be the number one healthy snacking brand.”

The brand is taking its first step in that direction by moving into adjacent categories, starting with protein bars.

Initially launching at Sprouts, Junkless Protein has 15 grams of protein, three to five grams of sugar, and six to eight grams of fiber per 1.9 oz. bar. The line is available in four flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, and Cookies & Cream.

The high ceiling of the protein snack trend “ages Junkless up through the teenager years and into adulthood,” where the brand can reach a broader demographic and fill more categories in a family’s pantry, Camus said.

Junkless landed on formulating the new product as a candy bar after researching the category for over a year. Permissible indulgence paired with 15 grams of protein allows adults to enjoy it, but also “doesn’t scare parents away from giving it to their teenage kids,” he said.

The time was right for Junkless to take the “next stage of growth” after solidifying its branding in May 2024, Camus said, and securing a solid distribution base in over 13,000 stores, including partnerships at Walmart, Target, Kroger, H-E-B and Giant Eagle, among others.

“Although it feels like we have all this distribution, we’re expanding out west and the numbers continue to look great around the country; we’re not in club or foodservice or c-stores,” Camus said. “What I’m excited about from a growth perspective is we’re just getting started on distribution.”

While granola bars and protein snacks are highly competitive categories, the brand is relying on the institutional knowledge that Repole and his network bring to scaling.

“It’s a crowded space, but where we can really separate ourselves is as a team. We know how to operate and run brands that have a million dollars in sales, $100 million in sales to north of a billion [dollars] in sales,” Camus said.

In the coming year, Junkless will be adding financial weights to the bar as it flexes its marketing muscles. As it builds awareness, the brand is lining up new distribution partnerships and planning for new SKUS, more “granola food form” innovations as well as eventually platforming into additional categories.

“We know the Junkless trademark is so powerful that we can go into any category and any aisle of the store. We’re ready for anything,” he said.