Circ Foods Inc

Theresa Burnley spent 16 years running Wiley Road Foods, manufacturing clean-label baked goods behind the scenes for brands like Trader Joe's and Milk Bar. In 2023 she decided it was finally time to build something of her own. She launched Circ as a side hustle while still running her bakery business, building a protein bite brand around a simple observation: the protein bar format had become antiquated and no longer fit how people actually eat today. Because Circ had its own manufacturing rather than relying on a co-packer, the team could move differently from the start. The packaging alone took two years to develop. All in, Circ invested over $1 million in process and product development before going to market. Early retail placements after Expo West gave the brand steady revenue quickly, though profitability took longer given the higher fixed costs of manufacturing in-house. At end of 2024, Theresa sold Wiley Road Foods to focus on Circ full-time. The brand did $2 million in top-line revenue last year, is on track to 4X its run rate this year and is now available in over 13,000 retail locations including Starbucks and Walmart. Her advice: as a founder, you have to embrace the pain of hours, complexity and rejection. No one will ever spend one-tenth of the time you do thinking about your business. Listen to every voice around you, but own it completely. Entrepreneur is partnering with B12, an AI website builder, so you can bring your vision into reality. Learn more at our free webinar: https://lnkd.in/gsV-xiSM

Better-For-You Options at Starbucks. I go to coffee with my dad every week at our local Starbucks. Throughout the year, I’ve noticed more and more better-for-you brands filling the shelves. The most recent partnership that caught my eye Saturday was Floura & Co. fiber bars. Founded by Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, I already stock these bars in my house and was pleasantly surprised to see them now being offered at Starbucks. There was a diverse offering of healthier options in addition to these bars. Better-For-You Partners at Starbucks Include: 🌿Floura & Co. 🌿Circ Bites 🌿KIND 🌿SkinnyDipped 🌿All In 🌿Khloud 🌿Siete Foods 🌿Chomps 🌿Ellenos 🌿MUSH 🌿Koia It’s refreshing to see a brand such as Starbucks innovating to meet consumers where they are and offer healthier (and allergen friendly) options in addition to their pastries and and more indulgent treats (which I also enjoy from time to time). Having accessibility to a bit better-for-me option is a huge win as I know I will be able to find something healthy and allergen friendly to eat when I am out to coffee with my dad, on the road, or an in airport. What about you? Have you noticed this shift at Starbucks? Is there a favorite brand you are glad to see they partnered with? What other concepts are making the shift towards a better-for-you offering to support the wellness journey? I’d love to hear from you! #Starbucks #BetterForYou #CPG #WellnessJourney #Health #FoodIsHealth #Fiber #Protein #Retail 🌿Enjoy my content? Follow me, Kate Fisher, to come along on the health journey. I’d love to hear your thoughts along the way! 🤩https://lnkd.in/e3daYqzR

We’re officially in Starbucks. ☕️🥜 This is an incredible milestone for CIRC, and one I’m incredibly proud of as a founder and to have built this company from the ground up. The bar format hasn’t changed much since PowerBar launched 40 years ago. A slab in a pouch, all-or-nothing. And honestly, I’ve seen more half-eaten bars end up in the trash than I can count. That’s part of why we built CIRC. We wanted to rethink what a protein snack could look like; something clean, convenient, resealable, and designed for real everyday life. A snack you can take with you, eat what you want, and save the rest for later. Seeing CIRC on shelves at Starbucks nationwide is a milestone our entire team is incredibly proud of. But for me, it’s also a reminder of how far an idea can go when you believe in it, surround yourself with the right people, and keep moving forward. I’m so grateful for our incredible team, our community, and all of the partners who have helped us get here. And we’re only just getting started. CIRC is now available at Starbucks nationwide. Grab a sleeve on your next coffee run at Starbucks or find us at circbites.com.