Barilla Group has agreed to acquire Gooder Foods Inc., the Santa Cruz, California-based company behind the Goodles brand, which in a little over four years turned American mac and cheese from a children's dish into a higher-protein, higher-fiber product aimed at adults. The deal, announced in a September 2 press release, remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and financial terms were not disclosed.
From start-up to category challenger
- Goodles was founded in October 2020 as Gooder Foods Inc. and launched its first mac and cheese online in 2021: it now has a 73-person team and sells through major and independent US retailers.
- The range includes boxed sides, microwavable single-serve cups and uncooked macaroni in flavors such as peppery parmesan, hatch chile and pesto, with added protein, fiber and nutrients.
- One serving delivers 14 grams of protein and 6 to 7 grams of fiber, plus prebiotics, and the brand stands out on the shelf with a liquid cheese sauce pouch instead of the usual dry powder mix.
- Barilla is the world's largest pasta maker: a fourth-generation family-owned company founded in 1877, set to celebrate 150 years in 2027 and present in more than 100 countries.
Market share
- According to Wall Street Journal data based on Numerator consumer figures, Goodles captured 7.8% of US spending on shelf-stable macaroni and cheese in the 12 months through the end of June 2026, against 0.8% in the same period three years earlier.
- The category is worth an estimated $2.1 billion to $2.3 billion a year in the United States.
- Over the same period Kraft Mac & Cheese, the flagship brand of Kraft Heinz, fell from 42.2% to 36.6%, while Velveeta mac and cheese slid from 21.6% to 18.9%.
- The Journal reported that Goodles was valued at $88 million after a 2023 funding round and turned its first profit in 2024.
- Growth is also coming from new shoppers: about 2 million new customers started buying Goodles in the last 90 days, fans generated 235 million organic impressions and the brand claims the highest NPS score in the category.
- Food Dive reports that Goodles delivered higher dollar velocities than Kraft and Annie's less than three years after its founding, while Circana data show nearly half of US adults are seeking more protein in their diets.
What Barilla is buying
- The deal fits a US strategy already under way: earlier this year the group invested $170 million in production, packaging lines and warehouse capacity in Livingston County, New York, where it expanded its Avon dry pasta plant in the spring.
- In 2022 Barilla bought the Back to Nature brand of healthy cookies and snacks from B&G Foods.
- The group closed 2025 with consolidated revenue of 4.83 billion euros, down 0.9%, EBITDA of 579 million euros, up 7.8%, and net profit of 233 million euros, with its margin rising from 11% to 12%.
- On closing, Goodles will stay headquartered in Santa Cruz and keep operating independently as a standalone brand, free to decide on product, recipes, quality, ingredients, suppliers and marketing: the entire team is retained with no reporting changes and co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut will continue to lead it.
- "Today is an important day for our Group," said Barilla Group chairman Guido Barilla. "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. 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."
- Zeszut said more than 90% of people in the US have never tried Goodles and that the ambition is to grow "eventually on a global scale", adding that she chose Barilla because it can help the brand innovate and expand internationally while letting it keep its quality standards.
- KO Law and Centerview Partners advised Goodles, while Weil Gotshal & Manges and PedersoliGattai acted as legal advisors and Piper Sandler and Orbin & Company as financial advisors to Barilla.
- Founding investors include actress Gal Gadot and her husband Jaron Varsano; Goodles confirmed only that Gadot is an investor.
- The Italian group's interest built up during the year: Zeszut met Barilla's leadership team at a Formula One race without discussing business, while in June the Parma-based company formally expressed an interest in acquiring the California business.
Will Barilla keep buying?
The announcement contains no reference to further acquisitions and the Goodles deal is still subject to regulatory approvals: on any new transactions, the group currently has no official position.
The logic of the transaction, however, points to a repeatable model. Barilla buys emerging brands in categories where it is not the leader, keeps them independent under incumbent management and provides distribution and industrial capacity: that is what happened with Back to Nature in 2022 and now with Goodles, which the group has chosen not to integrate into its operating perimeter. Barilla's 2025 accounts - 4.83 billion euros of revenue, 579 million of EBITDA and 233 million of profit - leave room for bolt-on deals, as suggested by the line-up of financial and legal advisers assembled by both sides.
