Italy’s pasta giant Barilla is strengthening its position in the United States with the acquisition of Goodles, the US brand that has reimagined the traditional American Mac & Cheese. The partnership will bring Goodles into the Italian pasta group’s business and is designed to accelerate the brand’s growth while preserving its autonomy, identity, and current leadership.
Founded in California in 2020 under the name Gooder Foods, Inc., and headquartered in Santa Cruz, Goodles was built around the idea that Mac & Cheese — one of America’s best-known comfort foods — could be made more nutritious, better tasting, and capable of delivering the same pleasure and enjoyment consumers have traditionally associated with the category.
Through a premium nutritional proposition and a range of original flavours, Goodles has established itself in just over four years as one of the most dynamic players in the category, building a strong and engaged consumer community across the United States.
For Barilla, the transaction represents both an investment in a high-growth US brand and a strategic opportunity to expand its presence in one of the world’s most important food markets. “Today is an important day for our Group,” said Guido Barilla, Chairman of the Barilla Group, interviewed by Il Sole 24 Ore. “We have been following Goodles for some time and have been impressed by the strength of the brand, the quality of its products and the momentum of its growth.”
Barilla said it was equally impressed by the company’s management team, led by Jen Zeszut. “Having got to know the management, led by Jen Zeszut, we were equally impressed by the strength of the organisation, its cohesion and its forward-looking vision,” Barilla added. “These elements convinced us that Goodles was the right choice and represented an exciting opportunity for the future.”
Goodles will retain its current leadership under co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut, who will continue to lead the company’s team following the transaction. “Goodles wants to continue the positive journey of these past few years,” Zeszut said. “I could not have imagined a better partner for our small company and our team.”
According to the Goodles CEO, joining forces with Barilla will provide the resources and expertise needed to take the brand to its next stage of development without compromising its distinctive proposition. “The Barilla Group can help us innovate and grow, while at the same time enabling us to make better decisions and maintain our quality,” Zeszut said.
A strategic foothold in the US Mac & Cheese market
The deal gives Barilla a stronger foothold in a category deeply embedded in US consumer culture, while adding a young, innovation-driven brand to its portfolio.
For Goodles, becoming part of Barilla provides access to the scale and capabilities of one of the world’s leading pasta companies while maintaining the entrepreneurial approach that has driven its rapid development since 2020.