FitCrunch, a protein bar brand, was founded in 2012 by Irvine and Bakery Barn, a high-quality active nutrition manufacturer. FitCrunch’s product portfolio features high-protein snacks including bars and wafers.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about this next chapter for FitCrunch,” Irvine said. “Since entering the market, this brand has always been about creating delicious, high-quality nutrition that people can trust, and I’m excited to continue building on that mission with our new partners. Together, we’re poised to bring FitCrunch to even more people who want great-tasting options that fuel their best lives.”

In 2019, Union Capital acquired both a majority stake in Bakery Barn and a significant minority stake in FitCrunch. Since then, the private equity firm has worked alongside both companies to accelerate their positions in the nutrition bar category, enacting multiple operational enhancements.

“Union Capital played an integral role working with my team in redefining and expanding our capacity utilization by focusing on the products and quantities that ran most efficiently at our first manufacturing facility,” said Matt Cruny, CEO of Bakery Barn. “As FitCrunch’s revenue and demand continued to rapidly grow, we worked closely with the Union Capital team to design and build a second, fully automated production facility to fulfill the increasing demand from FitCrunch.”

Through the deal, FitCrunch’s CEO, Patrick Cornacchiulo, will become CEO of 1440 Foods.

“FitCrunch has cemented its position as a leading active nutrition brand through strong performance across retail channels in a highly fragmented and growing market,” Cornacchiulo said. “We are thrilled to join the 1440 Foods platform and to bring together two talented teams with deep experience in the nutrition category, retail, branding and manufacturing.”