# GOODLES Made Mac and Cheese Stand Out. Barilla Took Notice **URL:** \ **Category:** News & Trends\ **Tags:** celebrity-brands, news, celebrity, lunch, dinner\ **Created:** [October 24, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://www.brandpopup.com/t/goodles-made-mac-and-cheese-stand-out-barilla-took-notice/87 "2026-10-24T22:03:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex043/user_avatar/www.brandpopup.com/john/32/23_2.png) [@John](https://www.brandpopup.com/u/John)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://www.brandpopup.com/t/goodles-made-mac-and-cheese-stand-out-barilla-took-notice/87/1 "2026-10-24T22:03:43Z")
_With a clear nutrition pitch, playful branding and an emphasis on taste, GOODLES gave a familiar pantry staple a fresh reason to land in the cart._ Mac and cheese did not need an introduction. [GOODLES](https://www.goodles.com/) gave shoppers a reason to take another look. Now the Santa Cruz brand has a new owner: [Barilla](https://www.barilla.com/en-us). The acquisition brings GOODLES into the family-owned food group, with the brand continuing as a standalone business under co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut. [Sources: GOODLES’ legal adviser](https://kofirm.com/goodles-acquired-by-barilla), [Barilla’s legal adviser](https://www.weil.com/articles/weil-advises-the-barilla-group-in-its-acquisition-of-goodles) The appeal goes beyond a new take on noodles. GOODLES built a recognizable identity around a simple proposition: familiar comfort food with more to offer on the nutrition label. ## Give People a Reason to Reconsider the Familiar GOODLES’ Cheddy Mac lists **14 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving of dry mix** , alongside real cheese and a classic cheddar flavor. [Source: GOODLES](https://beta.goodles.com/products/cheddy-mac/) That is an easy proposition to understand in a grocery aisle. Shoppers already know what mac and cheese is, when they might eat it and how to prepare it. GOODLES gives them something new to consider without asking them to learn an entirely different meal. The brand’s playful names, including Cheddy Mac and Shella Good, add personality to the proposition. Its original lineup paired familiar comfort-food cues with a more expressive identity. [Source: GOODLES’ launch coverage](https://geektyrant.com/news/gal-gadot-launches-new-line-of-healthier-mac-and-cheese-goodles) For a shopper, the invitation is straightforward: keep the meal you recognize and try a different version. ![BP - GOODLES Made Mac and Cheese Stand Out. Barilla Took Notice - Gal Gadot](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex043/uploads/brandpopup1/original/1X/c44a8a1868be8abbf0a59be8304790f1a9863125.jpeg) ## The Nutrition Claim Still Has to Taste Good One product-development decision explains the brand’s priorities particularly well. Zeszut told _Inc._ that when a formulation measured 14.9 grams of protein, she asked the team to bring it up to an even 15. But the adjustment made the product taste too mealy, so they reversed it. [Source: Inc.](https://www.inc.com/kevin-j-ryan/to-compete-for-crowded-shelf-space-goodles-founder-jen-zeszut-dials-up-the-weird/91153372) A cleaner number would have been easier to market. The team chose the eating experience. That is a useful distinction in a category crowded with nutritional promises. Protein and fiber can help explain why someone should try a product. Flavor and texture have to make that decision feel worthwhile once it reaches the bowl. ## What Barilla Saw in GOODLES In the acquisition announcement, Barilla chairman Guido Barilla pointed to GOODLES’ brand strength, product quality, growth momentum and management team as reasons for the deal. The companies said GOODLES would retain its Santa Cruz headquarters and operate as a standalone brand. [Source: acquisition announcement](https://www.streetinsider.com/Business%2BWire/This%2Bis%2BHUGE.%2BGOODLES%2BFinds%2BIts%2BPerfect%2BMatch%2BWith%2BBarilla%2BGroup%2Bfor%2Ba%2BNew%2BChapter%2Bof%2BGrowth./27020505.html) Those are the buyer’s stated reasons, rather than an independent explanation of the purchase price. Still, they identify what Barilla wants to preserve: a distinct brand, its products and the people behind them. The next challenge is maintaining that identity as GOODLES grows within a much larger company. ## The Founder Lesson Is in the Box GOODLES had advantages, including actor [Gal Gadot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal_Gadot), a founding partner who publicly promoted the business. Her involvement was part of its story, alongside an experienced team and deliberate marketing. [Source: Forbes’ interview with Gadot](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffconway/2022/04/19/gal-gadot-shares-goodles-news-about-her-mac-and-cheese-company-talks-wonder-woman-3-and-the-evil-queen/) But the product proposition works even for someone who has never heard that connection. That is the lesson emerging founders can use. Find something people already enjoy. Give them a specific reason to consider your version. Build an identity they can recognize, then make sure the experience delivers. **GOODLES made an everyday meal worth reconsidering. Founders do not always need to invent a new habit. Sometimes the opportunity is sitting in the pantry.** ---
**Author:** ![John](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex043/user_avatar/www.brandpopup.com/john/32/23_2.png) [@John](https://www.brandpopup.com/u/John)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://www.brandpopup.com/t/goodles-made-mac-and-cheese-stand-out-barilla-took-notice/87/2 "2026-10-26T00:19:04Z")