New York-based Bear’s Fruit Kombucha is set to move into a new 14,000 sq. ft. brewery as it prepares to scale nationally this year.
Founded in 2017 by former Zico brand engagement lead Amy Driscoll and animation artist Christopher Hill, Bear’s Fruit is an organic, Fair Trade certified kombucha brand brewed exclusively with whole fruit and herbs. The products are currently available in about 600 stores nationwide and are available in Blueberry Lavender, Pineapple Mint, Strawberry Jalapeno and Lemon Rosemary flavors, along with a rotating selection of seasonal varieties.
Earlier this year, Bear’s Fruit raised an undisclosed sum from Simple Food Ventures, a female-led investment firm focused on better-for-you CPG products. According to Driscoll, the company was connected with the firm by an existing investor, TQ Ventures, which had previously participated in the brand’s seed round.
“It’s definitely a much needed expansion,” Driscoll said of the company’s new production facility. “We’re busting at the seams right now and went from 2020 being a challenge for everyone, asking ‘How can we make this work and continue to grow the business,’ to now where it feels like we’re at the other end of the spectrum where we can’t fill it fast enough.”
Driscoll said the company currently has four full time employees but plans to expand its team later this year, particularly on the production side as the brand is produced entirely in-house.
As COVID-19 began to grip the country last March, Driscoll said Bear’s Fruit business, which is focused on the Northeast, “came to a screeching halt” just as it had started rolling out its newly redesigned bottles.
Like many other beverage brands, the company quickly launched a direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform . Over the past year, Bear’s Fruit has seen a 53% repurchase rate for online sales, with second orders typically coming within 30 days of the original purchase. The company also offers free shipping across the country. The online revenue has now allowed Bear’s Fruit to begin expanding its brick-and-mortar business nationwide, Driscoll said.
Bear’s Fruit has been distributed by Rainforest Distributing in New York since 2019 and is available in all Northeast Whole Foods locations. Earlier this month, the brand launched on the West Coast in Erewhon store and has partnered with Pod Foods to distribute the brand in Southern California. As well, Bear’s Fruit is now available in Albertsons in the Mid-Atlantic division.
“It’s very exciting to be in three different markets across the U.S. with more activity on the way there, but we really do feel like we have an opportunity to play in both natural and in the more conventional channels,” Driscoll said. “I think Bear’s Fruit is uniquely positioned because we’re going to tick off all the boxes for what that premium, more stereotypical kombucha drinker might look like, but we’re also doing something quite different with our taste profile, which is much smoother and cleaner.”
Bear’s Fruit is now on track to roughly triple its sales this year and is preparing to launch a new product line this summer outside of the kombucha space, with aims to transform Bear’s Fruit into a master brand that can play in multiple categories. The line extension is expected to roll out around August.
“The central tenet of what we’re going to be doing is that everything is centered on the gut, as that’s a key to keeping your body running properly,” she said. “So our focus as a brand is on gut health, and the new product is something I’m really excited about it.”