Nashville’s Daily Crunch brand launches in Whole Foods nationwide

For over a decade, Nashville resident Laurel Orley and the rest of her family looked forward to gifts from her aunt, Diane Orley. Along with charming baubles and trinkets, they would receive her crunchy, homemade sprouted nuts, inspired by her trips to India and traditional beliefs about their positive health benefits.

After years of joyfully snacking on them, Laurel Orley had an epiphany and declared: "We should sell these."

Orley partnered with her aunt and industry veteran Dan Stephenson to build Daily Crunch, a Nashville-based snack business dedicated to uniquely flavored sprouted nuts. The company officially launched in 2020 amid pandemic pressures, and now, four years later, it's making its Whole Foods debut nationwide and is one of the nation's fastest-growing companies.

The tasty, nutritious treat is a departure from the sugary snack brands like Moon Pie and Goo Goo Clusters that Tennessee has been known for over the last century.

Americans are increasingly reaching for healthy options, according to industry research firm Global Market Insights — with nutritious treat sales expected to expand from $90.6 billion in 2023 to $164.5 billion in 2032.

Another Nashville-based startup health food snack company, Wilde protein chips, also promise nutrition and taste. The chips are made from chicken breast, egg whites and bone broth instead of potatoes. Wilde chips are widely sold and, with backing from celebrities like Jack Harlow and Machine Gun Kelly, the company raised $20 million earlier this year.

Just a few months ago, Daily Crunch raised $4 million in a Series A funding round with startup supporter Launch Tennessee.

"The intersection of a growing food industry and increasing consumer demand for healthier options has propelled the healthy snacks market into prominence," GMI's Healthy Snacks Market 2024-2032 report states.

While production and packaging take place in facilities across the country, Orley said she wants people to know that Daily Crunch creative operations are based in Nashville.

"We want Tennessee to be really proud that we are a local Tennessee brand, and we're based here," Orley said. "Just getting the excitement of those core brand followers to know that we're here and to rally around us here in Tennessee."

The Amazon-owned supermarket chain was one of the first places Orley and Stephenson wanted to sell Daily Crunch, but when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the sell got a lot more difficult. As supply chain complications worsened, nationwide retailers stopped looking to take on new products.

"Whole Foods has been a cornerstone of the natural food industry for a long time, and we knew that our customer shops there and wants to buy us there," Stephenson said. "From the beginning, we wanted to sell with them. A pandemic got in the way of starting there, so we had to pivot, but we couldn't be more excited to be able to partner with a new exclusive with Whole Foods nationally."

Daily Crunch turned to online retailers like Thrive Market and started developing consumer loyalty.

This year, Orley said that determination is paying off. The brand launched in 500 Target stores in April, every Whole Foods nationally in October and another launch in 90 Sprouts locations is coming by the end of the year. Daily Crunch also landed on Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., taking the No. 257 spot nationwide with 1,547% three-year growth.

Instead of raw or roasted nuts, Daily Crunch soaks its nut mix in water for several hours until they begin to sprout. Then, they're dehydrated and mixed with a variety of flavors from Cherry Berry and Nashville Hot to Cacao and Sea Salt. Daily Crunch's new flavor Sweet and Spicy Sichuan will be for sale exclusively in Whole Foods.

Some of the health benefits of sprouting nuts that the brand proclaims include increased antioxidant and vitamin B content, boosting the body's ability to absorb nutrients and helping to lower cholesterol levels.

Orley said she is excited about the company's future.

"We're going deep instead of wide," Orley said. "I feel like we've cast a really wide net this year, and now it's like, let's go in deep with these customers that are already with these retailers and don't know us yet."

Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at [email protected]. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.