New Year, New Healthy Food Option?

Picture credit: Ryan Concepcion on Unsplash

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When healthy fast food operator Muscle Maker Inc. GRIL, parent company of Muscle Maker Grill and Pokemoto, acquired Superfit Foods in March of last year, it stressed the fit between the country opening up again as the pandemic subsided and picking up healthy, pre-made meals at your local gym.

With Superfit Foods providing its meal prep products in the coolers of 28+ gyms, wellness centers and other venues in northern Florida at the time, the idea was to combine people venturing out more to exercise as the economy opened up with the convenience of picking up food at their local gyms.

Now, with the advent of a new year, new owners Muscle Maker, Inc. hope to meet the demands of increased numbers of people typically making healthier resolutions by providing more food service at their local fitness centers.

Superfit Foods, a Good Fit

Superfit Foods was founded in 2015 in the Jacksonville area and provides subscription-based meal prep options that focus on specific dietary categories such as vegetarian, paleo and keto or trimming down and maintenance with over 150 pre-made meals to choose from.

The company was acquired by Texas-based Muscle Maker, Inc. for $500,000 in cash plus stock on March 30th, 2021.  

“The Superfit Foods acquisition fully supports our nontraditional approach to getting ‘healthier for you’ food in people’s stomachs through nontraditional venues and methods such as ghost kitchens, military bases and college campuses,” Muscle Maker, Inc. CEO Mike Roper said at the time of the acquisition. “Superfit Foods adds another component to our existing meal prep business, allowing our customers to pick up food from conveniently located coolers where they are exercising or shopping for wellness products and services.”

The acquisition is in line with similar moves Muscle Maker, Inc. has made in buying businesses that operate in what it calls nontraditional venues.

For example, the company has recently expanded its Pokemoto Hawaiian food chain by focusing on areas with heavy foot traffic such as locations close to college campuses. Pokemoto is close to Yale, Quinnipiac and Franklin Pierce universities.

In Line With the Big Players

The move toward healthier lifestyle options in the food industry is widespread.

Even established giants like McDonald’s Corp. MCD have pages on the company’s corporate website detailing the company’s commitment to quality food and offering advice from its dietitians. Meanwhile other meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron Holding, Inc. APRN and HelloFresh HLFFF are making the same commitments. 

Muscle Maker Grill, founded in New Jersey in 1995, is also making moves internationally. The company has signed a franchise development agreement to expand its Muscle Maker Grill restaurant brand into Saudi Arabia with 40 new locations, building on an original development agreement to open 10 units in Kuwait.

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.