Manufacturer of specialty baked goods, fast-casual operator enters new chapter with San Francisco Equity Partners
San Francisco Equity Partners (SFEP) acquired a majority stake in Rustic Bakery, a producer of organic and specialty foods and operator of four cafes. The private equity firm did not disclose transaction details of the SFEP majority stake in Rustic Bakery, a fast-growing California manufacturer.
Rustic Bakery manufactures and markets its products in more than 5,000 outlets in North America. It produces one of the highest-velocity specialty crackers on the market. In addition to crackers, Rustic Bakery produces crisps, cookies and biscuits.
The company produces its line of organic, non-GMO products with locally-sourced ingredients in Petaluma, Calif. The facility there benefits from a proprietary production process. The company stated this process leads to higher-quality products.
“Rustic Bakery is a strong, authentic brand built on exceptionally high quality,” said Scott Potter, SFEP managing partner. “We see a significant opportunity to expand the brand’s product portfolio, distribution and customer base, and look forward to bringing our strategic and operational resources to bear as we partner with the company on its next phase of growth.”
Previously, SFEP invested in Brazil Bites, Red Monkey Foods and San Francisco Salt Company.
After this SFEP majority stake in Rustic Bakery, the manufacturer will be able to accelerate its growth plans. In addition, there will be more muscle behind in its marketing push in the conventional and natural grocery, club, e-commerce, specialty and foodservice channels.
Founded in 2005, the company also operates four cafes in Marin, Calif. These restaurants serve polished fast-casual fare during the breakfast and lunch dayparts.
“SFEP has great experience building authentic consumer brands and scaling manufacturing businesses in high-growth product categories,” added Carol LeValley, chief executive of Rustic Bakery. “We’re excited to partner with them to continue to build the brand, accelerate the business and delight our customers with more great offerings.”
Aspect Consumer Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to Rustic Bakery related to the transaction.
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