Barilla

We're gonna give a taste and see what the $8, uh, craft dinner [laughs] is.

And why are we talking about this? 'Cause they just got sold to, uh, Barilla, the powerhouse in Italy.

Oh, yeah.

Pasta.

Uh, the numbers were not released, but, uh, big market cap, big dollars, and, and again, we see this, uh, we see this sometimes, right? Where innovation is purchased rather than created.

Yep.

Uh, and clearly, uh, the folks at Barilla, uh, who are just a powerhouse, you see them on the shelves everywhere-

Yeah

We've got some coupons, including a half-gallon milk coupon, $1.99. Fresh Strawberries, $2.99 for the one-pound package.

Barilla Pasta, $1.29. Baguette Pasta Sauce, $1.77. Little Debbie Snack Cakes, $1.88. Eggo Waffles, $1.99. Nabisco Family Size Oreos, $3.49. And Bakery Fresh Soft and Chewy Cookies, $3.99. All right, we'll do just a quick look at the bakery, including Fresh Crescent Pound Cake, $4.99, Bakery Fresh Club Rolls, $5.99, Crown Danish, $5.99, Brownie or Crispy Marshmallow Square Trays, $12.99, Novelty Cakes, $13.99, and they show one looking like a football.

Bakery Fresh Rustic Scones, four pack, $3.99. And Club Rolls, $5.99. And we're going to call that for Tops.

Tops prices are effective until September 19th.

So while we're waiting for our guests to join, what else is going on? Oh, Goodles.

So if anybody read the fulcrum, so Barilla Pasta, this was a big deal.

Barilla Pasta, which is one of the oldest pasta brands originated in Italy.

And they are an institution in, on pasta shelves across America.

And they chose to buy Goodles.

I'm Ray Lateef, the editor and producer of Taste Radio, and I'm with my co-host for this episode, John Craven, Melissa Travers, and Mike Schneider.

This week, we dig into Barilla Group's acquisition of Goodles and how the mac and cheese brand's success reflects growing demand for better-for-you versions of familiar legacy products.

We also look at Medici Brand's $2.2 billion valuation following its Series B raise, the launch of its Better For You candy brand Haul Pass, and the company's strategy of rethinking two of the most familiar formats in CPG, candy bars and protein bars.

We sample hall pass and get a sneak peek at David's new seasonal pumpkin spice bar and protein shake.

Good job, Captain Obvious.

Potato, potato.

Last week, it was announced that the Barilla Group, the Italian pasta giant, agreed to acquire Goodles, which is, we know, is a better for you mac and cheese brand.

According to a story written by our very own Shauna Golden, financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but upon closing, Goodles will continue to operate independently as a standalone brand, quote, free to make its own decisions about product, recipes, quality, ingredients, suppliers, marketing, and more.

The network has built on AI and data-driven marketing positioning, following recent wins, including Microsoft's global media account.

Barilla adds mac and cheese disruptor Goodles.

Italian pasta giant Barilla Group has acquired...

Italian pasta giant Barilla Group has agreed to acquire Goodles, the nutrient-dense mac and cheese brand known for its colorful boxes and playful flavor names like Here Comes Truffle.

Terms weren't disclosed.

Goodles was last valued at $88 million after a 2023 raise and turned its first profit in 2024.

But it's just this massive structural change.

So acquiring and so what to do next right they raised some capital in 2023 i think maybe between the 15 and 20 million range which is like a great amount of money to move forward but this is such a strategic acquisition moment because for the business to do what they're going to do next i couldn't imagine a better acquirer because barilla on the flip side is a pasta company right like it's like a perfect acquirer And Barilla is an Italian company.

And I think they've been watching the U.S. market.

I have no affiliation with them.

and watched it under their like core line.

And I was like, this is crazy to see somebody this big get into the health space, but I think they saw the market changing.

And so we see, and I think the fact that they are Italian and that they are European is important in this, because I think Europe is looking at the US and saying, man, people are getting sicker and sicker and like consumers want change.

the food landscape in the U S and the food companies in the U S are not making that change.

He stressed that a process of aligning positions is needed across the leadership to salvage relationships with key partners.

In Israeli economy and business, Gal Gadot backed mac and cheese brand to be bought by Italian pasta giant Barilla.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the brand holds 7.8% of the US market and was valued at $88 million in 2023.

Founded in 2020 as a healthier take on the food, Gadot was an early investor.

Fox Business says those will be in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu, and Nashville.

Traditional pasta maker Barilla Group is taking a chance, acquiring a pasta company known for innovation.

It's Goodles, a macaroni product with high protein and fiber content.

The Wall Street Journal says Goodall's was valued at $88 million and took up more of the macaroni market.