Bolthouse Farms closes deal to acquire Evolution Fresh from Starbucks

Bolthouse Farms finalized the purchase of a popular juice brand from Starbucks, adding even more to the Bakersfield, Calif.-based carrot grower’s stockpile of premium juice products.

By August 1, the company closed the deal to acquire Evolution Fresh from Starbucks, including the brand, business and employees supporting Evolution Fresh, according to a news release.

Listen to our Bolthouse Farms chat about this deal and the trend of premium juices in the produce department:

Uniting the two brands is another way for Bolthouse Farms to meet the growing consumer demand for functional nutrition in the fresh produce department and gain more leadership in the premium juice and refrigerated beverage categories in retail. 

“Evolution Fresh is a business and a brand that we have long admired,” said Chief Customer Officer Phil Kooy,” in his Tip of the Iceberg podcast episode.

Before the deal, Evolution Fresh was available in the refrigerated sections of about 11,000 grocery stores and more than 10,000 Starbucks coffee shop locations nationwide, he said.

“That’s where many people come to know the brand and are familiar with the brand and follow it over the years,” Kooy said.

Bolthouse Farms beverages are available at more than 30,000 outlets.

Through this acquisition, Bolthouse Farms will expand its beverage offering from nutrient-dense, plant-powered juices and smoothies to include the full lineup of Evolution Fresh’s primarily organic, cold-pressed, premium juices. There is only a 4% buyer overlap in terms of which shoppers buy Bolthouse drinks and which shoppers buy Evolution Fresh juices, Kooy said.

Starbucks stores in the U.S. will continue to sell Evolution Fresh products. 

“As a combined company, we will share our resources, vertically-integrated supply chain, deep knowledge of fresh produce and passion for ingenuity and innovation. Evolution Fresh produces deliciously fresh, cold-pressed juices that consumers are looking for,” Bolthouse Consumer Brands President Bill Levisay, said in the release. “Our job now is to support their expertise and bring additional resources to the table to expand the brand’s reach.” 

Bolthouse Farms is the No. 1 super premium refrigerated beverage brand and one of the largest carrot suppliers to North American retailers, according to IRI data from the last 52 weeks ending May 1.  The company also produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, café beverages, protein shakes, functional beverages and premium refrigerated dressings, all under the Bolthouse Farms brand name.

Listen to the podcast episode with Phil Kooy, chief customer officer of Bolthouse Farms.

“Bolthouse has been on a rapid growth trajectory in the last few years, and this acquisition is an important step on the company’s growth journey, with more expected to come,” Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn said in the release.

Bolthouse Farms is a portfolio company of Butterfly, a private equity firm specializing in high-growth, on-trend food categories. Through Bolthouse Farms, Evolution Fresh joins Butterfly’s brand portfolio that includes Chosen Foods, MaryRuth Organics, Orgain, and Pete and Gerry’s Organics.

 Terms of the transaction, which Starbucks and Bolthouse Farms announced on May 24, 2022, were not disclosed.