Goodles, the Santa Cruz, California-based brand known for its reimagined boxed mac and cheese, has entered into an agreement to be acquired by the Barilla Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Goodles will remain headquartered in Santa Cruz and continue to operate independently as a standalone brand, retaining control over product, recipes, ingredients, suppliers and marketing decisions. The entire 73-person team will be retained with no reporting changes, and Co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut will continue to lead the brand.
Founded in October 2020 as Gooder Foods, Inc., Goodles hit retail shelves a little more than four years ago and has grown quickly in the mac and cheese category. The company says its products drive incrementality for retail partners, drawing new customers to the mac aisle with the highest average basket size, buy rate and purchase frequency in the category. It is distributed in major and independent retailers in the U.S.
‘Loves us just the way we are’
“We chose the Barilla Group because they can help us innovate and grow internationally while letting us make gooder decisions and maintain our quality,” Zeszut said. “The Barilla Group loves us just the way we are, from our barely-running dune buggy to our over-flowing-with-joy HQ office in Santa Cruz. We’re not changing a thing.”
For Barilla, the deal adds a fast-growing U.S. brand to a portfolio spanning pasta, sauces and bakery goods. The fourth-generation family-owned company, founded in 1877, operates in more than 100 countries and will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2027.
“We had been following Goodles closely for some time and became increasingly impressed by the strength of the brand, the quality of its products and the momentum behind its growth,” said Guido Barilla, chairman of the Barilla Group. “As we got to know the management team, led by Jen Zeszut, we were equally impressed by the strength of the organization, its unity and its forward-looking mindset.”
The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Centerview Partners is serving as financial advisor and KO Law as legal advisor to Goodles. Piper Sandler and Orbin & Company, LLC, are serving as financial advisors and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and PedersoliGattai as legal advisors to the Barilla Group.
Headquartered in Parma, Italy, Barilla Group is a multinational food company founded in 1877. It is the world’s largest pasta producer. The company operates 30 production sites, half of which are located in Italy and half internationally.