Stellar Snacks is capping a record distribution year with the launch of Stellar Pretzel Braids – Baked with Olive Oil, a six-flavor line available exclusively at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide. The debut adds two entirely new flavors — Elote Loco (Mexican street corn seasoning) and Spicy Flame (habanero and paprika) — to four existing profiles: Maui Monk, Bold & Herby, Cinnamon Dolce, and French Dijon. All six are seed-oil-free and carry the brand's existing vegan, non-GMO, and top-allergen-free certifications.

Distribution Momentum

The product launch punctuates what the Carson City, Nevada-based company calls its biggest expansion year. Stellar ended 2025 with roughly 12,000 retail doors and expects to close 2026 at approximately 18,000 — a 50% year-over-year increase. The rollout proceeded in stages: Kroger, Albertsons/Safeway, and Publix added the brand at the national level earlier in the year, followed by a nationwide Target expansion over the summer alongside a new multipack format targeting the club channel. The brand already has a presence in select Costco locations.

The expansion has drawn private-equity backing: Main Post Partners made a strategic investment in Stellar earlier in 2026 to fund the next growth phase, though financial terms were not disclosed.

The Numbers

Third-party data underscore the brand's category outperformance. According to SPINS, Stellar's multi-outlet (MULO) sales grew 205.0% over the trailing 52 weeks versus the prior-year period, while average ACV distribution in MULO reached 20.0%, up 14.3 percentage points. In the total U.S. grocery channel, Stellar accounted for 27.0% of all pretzel category growth in the four weeks ending October 4, 2026 — a disproportionate share for a brand that only recently crossed the 20% ACV threshold nationally.

The figures place Stellar atop SPINS' ranking of fastest-growing nationally distributed pretzel brands in the U.S. food market, a position the company has held as flavor-driven innovation reshapes the broader salty snack aisle. Across the pretzel category, brands have accelerated sweet-and-savory NPD to capture increasingly adventurous snack occasions, a dynamic that benefits smaller, innovation-led operators disproportionately.

Brand Background and Outlook

Founded in 2019 by Elisabeth Galvin and her daughter Gina Galvin, Stellar built its early consumer base through an airline snack partnership with Southwest Airlines, where its pretzels reach hundreds of millions of passengers annually. That foodservice-adjacent channel gave the brand national consumer awareness before broad retail penetration — an unusual route to shelf for an emerging CPG player.

Aidan McAuley, Senior Executive Vice President of Sales, pointed to disciplined category management and pack-size diversification as drivers of retailer confidence. "The shift towards better-for-you snacking will also contribute to sustained market share growth among the major segments of the salty snack category," McAuley said.

Andy Yee, Stellar's Senior Brand Manager, framed the olive oil line as a response to consumer demand for dietary flexibility without sacrificing flavor. "Our Olive Oil Pretzel Braids give people more options," Yee said. "They're the same authentically baked braids and bold flavors our fans love, now with a new way to enjoy them."

For retail buyers and category managers tracking the better-for-you snack segment, Stellar's velocity data present a compelling case for expanded shelf placement. For investors and operators monitoring emerging CPG brands, the Main Post Partners backing and 50% door growth in a single year signal the company is moving from challenger to established mid-tier competitor within the salty snack aisle.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.