The Granola Jar

What The Granola Jar does

The Granola Jar is a privately held, owner-operated bakery and café based in Evansville, Indiana, founded in August 2006 by Nealie Anthony, her husband Ryan, and her mother-in-law, with Nealie currently serving as sole owner. The business operates two brick-and-mortar storefronts — the original location at 1033 E Mt Pleasant Rd (behind Bob's Gym North) and The Granola Jar East at 5600 E Virginia Street — and generates revenue through four core product lines: a lunch menu (house-made salads, sandwiches, wraps, daily specials, and kid's meals), a dessert menu (signature granola blends, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, and cakes), a full-service catering program (sandwich trays, deli salads by the pound, casseroles, pies, and party appetizers), and custom gift baskets. The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and operationally standard: the company runs on Square's online storefront platform for direct pickup ordering (with two Square-hosted sites, one per location) and is listed on the Grubhub marketplace for third-party delivery, alongside a basic website hosting downloadable PDF menus.

The company serves three primary customer segments within the Evansville tri-state area: local lunch diners and walk-in customers seeking fresh-made salads and sandwiches at the two storefronts; catering clients (businesses, event hosts, and holiday occasions) ordering trays, casseroles, and pies with two business days' lead time; and gift basket buyers purchasing custom-assembled local-themed gifts. Pricing is purely transactional per-unit — sandwiches roughly $9–$12, salads $3.99–$12.99, catering trays from $44 with a $500 minimum for off-hour deliveries, and granola at $7.50/lb — with weekly in-store specials (e.g., Three's Company $9.99 on Thursdays, cookies $1.00 on Tuesdays) but no subscription or recurring model. Distribution is single-geography and omnichannel at a modest scale: physical retail, Square-powered pickup ordering, Grubhub delivery, and direct catering sales via phone and email.

There are no external capital sources, no venture or private equity backing, and no disclosed revenue or headcount figures. Operations are constrained to Monday–Friday, 10AM–2PM hours, signaling a lifestyle/small-business operating profile rather than a high-growth venture. Competitive positioning rests on local brand longevity (18+ years), the founder's California Culinary Academy pastry chef credentials, and proprietary scratch granola recipes, all of which are easily replicable and provide only a thin specialty moat against chain bakeries and other local independents.

Name

The Granola Jar

Legal name

The Granola Jar

Website

https://granolajar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Granola Jar is a privately held, owner-operated bakery and café in Evansville, Indiana, serving local lunch diners, catering clients, and gift basket buyers across two storefronts through scratch-made granola, baked desserts, sandwiches, salads, and full-service catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bakery and Cafe

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production (THAFAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Bubble Waffle, Crepe & Specialty Dessert Kiosks (THAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Bakery cafe services
• Artisanal granola products
• Catering services
• Custom gift baskets
• Fresh baked goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Evansville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales (Lunch/Sandwiches/Salads): Walk-in and pickup sales of sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, and kid's meals at two physical locations. Pricing per item (e.g., Three's Company $10.99, Classic Reuben $11.25, Chopped Salad $12.99).
2. Retail Bakery / Dessert Sales: In-store and gift basket sales of cookies ($1.99 each or 6 for $11.95), brownies ($1.50-$2.50), cakes (8" double layer ~$35), pies ($17-$20), granola (1 lb $7.50, 8 oz $4.75), and cheesecakes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Granola Jar is a locally owned bakery and café operating two brick-and-mortar storefronts in Evansville, Indiana, where it sells house-made granola blends, baked desserts (cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, cakes), lunch items (sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups), full-service catering platters, and custom gift baskets. Customers can order in-store, by phone, or via online pickup and delivery channels powered by Square and Grubhub. The business is run by founder-owner Nealie Anthony, a California Culinary Academy-trained pastry chef.

Product overview

The Granola Jar is a single, locally-owned Evansville cafe/bakery brand offering a unified menu portfolio built around its namesake granola and in-house baking program, rather than a software platform with separate modules. The offering is organized into four complementary customer-facing lines: the Lunch Menu (sandwiches, wraps, salads, daily specials like Three's Company and Main and Side, and kid's meals), the Dessert Menu (the Granola signature product line plus cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, cakes, and cupcakes), Catering (brunches, lunches, dinners, and parties with sandwich trays, deli salads, casseroles, pies, and appetizers), and Gift Baskets (custom and pre-made baskets of granola, cookies, coffeecakes, and candy). Both physical locations — the original at 1033 E Mt Pleasant Rd and The Granola Jar East at 5600 E Virginia Street — share the same menu, and orders can be placed in-store, by phone, through Gift Baskets, or via the Online Ordering channels powered by Square and Grubhub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lunch Menu Daytime cafe menu of house-made deli salads, cold and grilled sandwiches, wraps, green salads, daily specials (Three's Company, Main and Side, Two Salad Sampler), soups, and kid's meals (grilled cheese, ham/turkey, cheese quesadilla) served with chips or optional side substitutions, served at both Evansville storefronts Monday-Friday 10AM-2PM.
• Dessert Menu In-house bakery menu featuring the signature granola blends (Signature Blend, Heart of Flax, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Oreo Oat Cluster, Oat Cluster) plus cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, 8-inch double-layer cakes in many flavors, and cupcakes, sold per piece, per dozen, by the pound, or as gift baskets.
• Catering Full-service catering for brunches, business lunches, dinner events, parties, and holidays, including sandwich trays (from $44), Silver Dollar Sandwiches ($21/dozen), deli salads by the pound ($8.99-$9.99/lb), casseroles, pies ($17-$20), cheesecakes, party appetizers, soups ($14/quart), and breakfast/brunch items. Orders placed two business days in advance (one week for Thanksgiving/Christmas), with a $500 minimum for off-hour deliveries and a 20% surcharge on items requiring special trays/utensils.
• Gift Baskets Custom and pre-made gift baskets and gift certificates featuring coffeecakes (6" $18, 10" $28), brownies and bars ($2.50 each or 4 for $10), 1 lb ($7.50) and 8 oz ($4.75) granola bags, cookies (by the piece, half-dozen, dozen, or in holiday gable boxes with bow), and candy items, with a $5.99 wrapping fee on custom baskets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded from one breakfast-centric location in 2006 to two locations with lunch and catering focus
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrubhub lists The Granola Jar as a partner restaurant (ID 880110) at the 111 S Green River Rd Ste D, Evansville location. The integration enables online ordering and delivery for customers via the Grubhub marketplace, with a referral link embedded on the company's homepage.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSquare powers The Granola Jar's online pickup ordering infrastructure. The company maintains two Square-hosted online ordering storefronts — the-granola-jar.square.site for the original location and granola-jar111.square.site for the East/111 location — enabling customers to place pickup orders digitally.
• California Culinary AcademyminorOthersOwner Nealie Anthony attended California Culinary Academy and graduated in 2005 as a pastry chef before moving back to the tri-state area to start The Granola Jar. The Academy provided the culinary training foundation that underpins the business's recipes and product quality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Levain Bakery: Multi-location artisan bakery known for a single signature hero SKU (cookies), retail storefronts, nationwide e-commerce shipping, and brand-led growth. Comparable product concentration strategy and direct-to-consumer gift/shipping model to The Granola Jar's granola line.
• Tatte Bakery & Café: Multi-location artisan bakery and café offering pastries, signature granola, salads, sandwiches, and seasonal menus from professionally trained pastry chefs. Closely comparable menu structure (granola, pastries, salads/sandwiches, catering) and chef-led brand identity.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes: Specialty bakery chain with hundreds of franchised locations selling a signature hero product (bundt cakes), gift packaging, catering, and party/event orders. Comparable signature-product strategy, gift basket focus, and multi-location replication model.
• Crumbl Cookies: Rapidly scaled franchise cookie/baked goods brand with rotating specialty menu, online ordering, catering, gift boxes, and nationwide delivery. Comparable dessert-led product strategy, signature-item branding, and gifting/catering channels.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic bakery/café brand with multiple physical locations offering baked goods, desserts, lunch items, catering, and nationwide shipping of signature products. Comparable product mix (cookies, cakes, bars) and gift/corporate gifting channels to The Granola Jar, though at much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: National bakery-café chain offering soups, salads, sandwiches, and bakery items with catering and gift card programs. Represents the scaled incumbent competition The Granola Jar faces locally, with overlapping lunch and catering offerings.
• Paris Baguette: International bakery-café franchise with broad bakery, sandwich, salad, and catering menus across hundreds of U.S. locations. Comparable full-spectrum café/bakery product mix and catering model, though at far larger franchise scale.

Emerging players

• Baked by Melissa: Bite-size baked goods brand with NYC storefronts, nationwide shipping, corporate gifting, and event/catering programs. Comparable boutique bakery positioning, gift-box product format, and chef/founder-led brand identity.
• Insomnia Cookies: Specialty cookie brand with late-night storefronts, online ordering, nationwide delivery, and corporate gifting program. Comparable dessert-product focus, gifting channel, and delivery/marketplace distribution model relevant to The Granola Jar's gift basket business.

Others

• Etsy (marketplace for handmade/granola sellers): Online marketplace where hundreds of small artisan granola brands sell gift baskets, custom assortments, and direct-ship nationwide. Functions as a distribution and competitive context for The Granola Jar's potential wholesale or DTC granola expansion.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/granolajar
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegranolajar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-granola-jar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 The Granola Jar