Big Food Struggles to Attract Millennials, Panera Sells for $7.5B + More Top News

Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Last week’s top news features challenges for big food brands looking to stay relevant to younger consumers and competition for restaurants from grocerants, a new trend of grocery stores with dine-in options. Also, Panera sold to JAB Holding Company for $7.5B and General Mills’ VC arm 301 Inc. invested $3M in granola startup Purely Elizabeth.

Check out our weekly round-up of last week’s top food startup, tech and innovation news below or peruse the full newsletter here.

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1. Paleo Meal Delivery Service Mealmade Launches Brick-and-Mortar Outpost

Mealmade, a San Francisco-based Paleo meal delivery company, is launching an app, adding weekend delivery, opening a brick-and-mortar retail space and they’re hiring!

2. Can Food Companies Keep Pace with Millennials’ Preferences? – FoodDive

As Big Food brands work to appeal to younger consumers, they face competition from smaller, millennial-led companies that can better meet rapidly changing consumer preferences.

3. How Eat Real Creates Market-Based Incentives for Healthy, Sustainable Food

Through its EatREAL certification program, the United States Healthful Food Council (USHFC) partners with third-party registered dietitians to certify that operators’ menus, operations and supply chains are healthful and sustainable.

4. 3 Myths About Modern Agriculture – Scientific American

Myths get in the way of our ability to restore degraded soils that can feed the world using fewer chemicals.

5. A Coffee Empire Grows, as Panera is Sold to JAB Holding Company – New York Times

German conglomerate JAB Holding Company has acquired Panera Bread for $7.5B including debt. The opportunity to return to the private sector attracted Panera founder Ron Schaich to the JAB deal.

6. This New Startup Wants to Deliver Healthy Baby Food to Your Doorstep – Fortune

Soon-to-launch baby food delivery startup Yumi has raised several millions of dollars, including from Ali Partovi, Matt Mullenweg, founder of Automattic, and Philip Krim, co-founder of mattress company Casper.

7. General Mills’ VC Arm Invests in Breakfast Food Startup – Fortune

301 Inc is investing $3M in Purely Elizabeth to acquire a minority stake. The granola and cereal startup is currently sold in 10k retailers.

8. Thrive Market’s Startup Distribution Network – MHM

With sales growing at 25- 50% per month, the online grocery retailer is building out its distribution network, starting with a 361k-square-foot facility in Indiana that helps meet the demands of its 400k+ members.

9. Why ‘Grocerants’ Are the New Trend, Taking Bite out of Restaurants – USA Today

Grocerants—grocery stores with dine-in options—generated $10B in sales in 2016. Convenience and affordability are attracting customers away from traditional restaurants.

10. Food Courier Deliveroo Launches Platform for Restaurants to Open Delivery-Only Kitchens – VentureBeat

European food delivery startup Deliveroo unveiled a new platform that enables restaurants of all sizes to open in new locations without committing to costly public premises.