What Nature's Bakery does

Nature's Bakery is a plant-based soft-baked snack foods brand founded in 2011 by Dave and Sam Marson, currently operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated following Mars' 2020 acquisition of KIND. The company produces and distributes snack bars including its signature Whole Wheat Fig Bars, Fig Bar Minis, Oatmeal Crumble Bars, Gluten Free Fig Bars, Brownie Bars, and the high-protein Hearty Bars line. Its proprietary soft-baked formulation combines whole grains and real fruit and carries Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, and Whole Grain Council certifications, with select SKUs Smart Snack approved for school environments. The company serves two primary segments — families with school-age children seeking allergen-compliant lunchbox snacks, and health-conscious adults prioritizing clean-label, plant-based nutrition.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through naturesbakery.com, offering one-time purchases, Build-A-Box bundles, scheduled subscriptions with up to 25% savings, gift cards priced between $37.80 and $63.00, and the Pantry Perks loyalty program. Wholesale revenue is generated through mass-market and club retail — primarily Target, Walmart, and Costco — reaching 100,000+ stores nationally, supplemented by e-Pallet for independent retailers. Marketing combines owned social channels (Instagram, TikTok), a Snack Hacks recipe blog, email, community partnerships (No Kid Hungry, The Conscious Kid), and the newly appointed agency of record, The Many, with a campaign launching in early 2027.

Manufacturing is anchored by a 339,000+ square-foot LEED Silver-certified facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, opened in 2024-2025 as part of a $237-240 million investment with capacity for nearly 1 billion bars annually. Production is supplemented by the Carson City, Nevada facility, while the Hazelwood, Missouri plant is being phased out with 345 layoffs across two phases and permanent closure scheduled for September 2027. The brand has cumulatively baked over three billion Fig Bars in five years and operates a Snack Life Gear merchandise extension. Steve Gardiner serves as CEO; no independent venture, private equity, or public ownership stakes are evidenced in the input data.

Name

Nature's Bakery

Legal name

Nature's Bakery, LLC

Website

https://naturesbakery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Nature's Bakery is a Mars-owned, plant-based soft-baked snack brand producing vegan, nut-free, non-GMO fig bars and related products for families and health-conscious consumers, distributed through 100,000+ U.S. retail stores and a direct e-commerce channel with subscriptions and loyalty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soft-Baked Snack Foods

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain-Based Breakfast & Nutrition Bars Manufacturing (cereal bars, granola bars) (AFAKABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Soft-baked snack bars
• Plant-based snacks
• Fig bars
• Better-for-you snacks
• Nut-free snack foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Carson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales: Nature's Bakery generates revenue through direct e-commerce sales at naturesbakery.com, including one-time purchases, subscription deliveries, and gift cards. Subscribers receive free shipping and save up to 25% on build-a-box bundles.
2. Retail / Wholesale Distribution: Revenue from selling snack bars through retail channel partners including Target, Walmart, and Costco, and wholesale platforms such as e-Pallet, reaching 100,000 stores nationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nature's Bakery manufactures and sells soft-baked snack bars (Whole Wheat Fig Bars, Fig Bar Minis, Oatmeal Crumble Bars, Gluten Free Fig Bars, Brownie Bars, Hearty Bars, Lemon Collection) made with whole grains and real fruit, formulated to be plant-based, dairy-free, nut-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified. The company sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce site (subscriptions, build-a-box bundles, gift cards) and distributes nationally through mass retailers (Target, Walmart, Costco) reaching over 100,000 stores.

Product overview

Nature's Bakery is a soft-baked snack brand founded in 2011, now part of Mars Incorporated and KIND. The company offers a portfolio of plant-based, dairy-free, nut-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified snack bars, with Whole Wheat Fig Bars as its signature product. The core product line includes Fig Bar Minis, Oatmeal Crumble Bars, Gluten Free Fig Bars, Brownie Bars, and the newer Hearty Bars (high-protein line). The company has recently expanded into the Lemon Collection and Snack Life Gear merchandise. Nature's Bakery operates e-commerce through its website with customization services (Build A Box), subscription options, and a loyalty program (Pantry Perks). Products are distributed nationally at over 100,000 stores including Target, Walmart, and Costco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Snack Life Gear: Nature's Bakery activewear and apparel merchandise line featuring athletic wear, graphic tees, accessories, and other branded clothing items designed for on-the-go comfort and snack-fueled lifestyle.

Products and services

• Whole Wheat Fig Bars Nature's Bakery's signature soft-baked snack bars made with whole wheat and real fruit fillings; certified vegan, Non-GMO Project Verified, dairy-free, and nut-free. Designed for lunchbox, school, and on-the-go snacking.
• Fig Bar Minis Smaller portion-sized versions of the classic Fig Bar designed for grab-and-go snacking and lunchboxes; same vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, Non-GMO formulation.
• Oatmeal Crumble Bars Soft-baked oatmeal bars with crumble topping made with whole grains and real fruit; plant-based, nut-free, and Smart Snack approved for school environments.
• Gluten Free Fig Bars Gluten-free versions of the classic Fig Bar made with flaxseeds and ancient grains, certified gluten-free; available in three real fruit flavors.
• Brownie Bars Soft-baked, dairy-free, nut-free brownies made with real cocoa and dates; Smart Snack approved and suited for school and on-the-go consumption.
• Lemon Collection Limited edition Lemon Fig Bars paired with a Snack Life Gear merchandise collection (stickers, bags, hats, shirts) celebrating the bright lemon flavor.
• Hearty Bars High-protein soft-baked bars offering 9 grams of plant-based protein from fava bean and sunflower sources; available in Blueberry and Chocolate Chip varieties made with whole grains, real fruit, and Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards in three sizes — Small But Mighty (6 boxes, $37.80), Happy Medium (9 boxes, $50.40), and The Big Deal (12 boxes, $63.00) — redeemable on naturesbakery.com with no expiration.
• Subscription Service Scheduled delivery subscription program offering free shipping, stress-free recurring deliveries, and additional savings on Nature's Bakery snack boxes; managed through customer account dashboard.
• Build A Box Build-your-own box customization service letting customers mix and match their favorite Nature's Bakery snacks with free shipping and up to 25% savings.
• Pantry Perks Rewards Program Free customer loyalty rewards program offering points for purchases, reviews, and account creation; members receive early access to exclusive products, free shipping over $37, and points-based redemptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 billion Fig Bars baked in 5 years, demonstrating production scale and consumer demand.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The ManycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026The Many was appointed as agency of record for Nature's Bakery, covering strategy and creative services. The partnership includes a campaign launching in early 2027 with the goal of building brand love and driving growth, connecting Nature's Bakery to the broader Mars family of companies.
• No Kid HungrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Nature's Bakery has an ongoing partnership with No Kid Hungry to address childhood food insecurity in the US. In 2025, the company committed $150,000 plus over 100,000 snack bars and 2,500 school supply kits for back-to-school support. Combined with partner Ardent Mills contributions, the total commitment reached $225,000 and can provide approximately 1.5 million meals to children in need. Since 2022, Nature's Bakery has donated $250,000 to No Kid Hungry.
• Ardent MillssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Ardent Mills is a partner in the No Kid Hungry back-to-school initiative, contributing to the $225,000 total commitment alongside Nature's Bakery to address childhood hunger.
• KIND / Mars, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025Nature's Bakery was acquired by KIND (a healthy snacking leader) and Mars, Incorporated. Mars invested $240 million in a new Salt Lake City manufacturing facility and $2 billion into U.S. manufacturing through 2026. The brand is part of the Mars family of companies, contributing to the broader snacking platform and benefiting from shared values around quality and accessibility.
• The Conscious KidsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature's Bakery partners with The Conscious Kid, a non-profit committed to greater representation and education for all children. The company's contributions to their Anti-Racist Children's Book Education Fund resulted in the distribution of 120,000 books to schools across all 50 states.
• AkcasupportingTechnology or IntegrationAkca is Nature's Bakery's fig processing partner, processing figs on solar lines for reduced energy use and utilizing the whole fig during production. Figs are sourced globally and thrive with minimal pesticides and no herbicides.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lärabar: Whole-food fruit-and-nut bar brand owned by General Mills. Lärabar directly competes with Nature's Bakery on natural ingredients, fruit-based flavors, and on-the-go snacking occasions at the same retail partners.
• RXBAR: Protein-focused bar brand also owned by Mars. RXBAR targets a similar health-conscious consumer with whole-food, simple-ingredient bars and competes for the same shelf set at Target, Walmart, and Costco.
• KIND Healthy Snacks: Sister brand under Mars/KIND's healthy snacking platform. KIND is a leading better-for-you snack bar brand with overlapping clean-label positioning, similar retail distribution, and comparable allergen-friendly credentials. It is the most direct strategic comparable given shared parent ownership.
• Simple Mills: Better-for-you snack and cracker brand with similar clean-label, allergen-friendly, and plant-based positioning. Simple Mills overlaps with Nature's Bakery in natural channel and mainstream retail on snack occasions.
• Clif Bar: Energy and snack bar brand owned by Mondelez. Clif Bar competes for the same active-lifestyle, better-for-you consumer with a broader bar portfolio including baked and chewy formats that overlap with Nature's Bakery's soft-baked proposition.
• Bobo's Oat Bars: Independent oat-based baked bar brand with similar clean-label, whole-grain positioning. Bobo's competes directly in the soft-baked snack bar category with comparable ingredient story and family/lunchbox occasion.
• Made Good: Allergen-friendly snack brand specializing in nut-free, gluten-free, vegan products with school-compliant credentials. Made Good directly competes for the family-and-school segment that is core to Nature's Bakery's positioning.
• That's it. Fruit Bars: Minimal-ingredient fruit-based bar brand positioned around real fruit and transparency. That's it. competes with Nature's Bakery's fig bar franchise on natural fruit-forward snacking and clean-label messaging.

Broad incumbents

• Kashi (Kellogg's): Better-for-you cereal and snack brand owned by Kellogg's. Kashi's bar and granola lines compete with Nature's Bakery on natural, whole-grain positioning within the broader better-for-you snacking set.
• Quaker Chewy (PepsiCo): Mass-market granola and snack bar brand owned by PepsiCo with far broader distribution and advertising spend. Quaker Chewy competes at the value end of the family snack bar category and represents a scaled incumbent pressure point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/naturesbakery
• TikToktiktok.com/@naturesbakery
• Xx.com/naturesbakery
• Facebookfacebook.com/naturesbakery

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nature's Bakery