Schnucks Springboard Emerging Business Accelerator Announces Third Cohort of Participants
Schnucks Springboard Emerging Business Accelerator Announces Third Cohort of Participants
The program will provide 10 businesses with education, resources and access to Schnucks customers
ST. LOUIS, July 21, 2026 - Schnuck Markets, Inc. today announced the third cohort of companies accepted into Schnucks Springboard - an emerging business accelerator designed to provide education, resources and access to small, Midwest businesses. Starting August 6, these companies will begin receiving business development classes at Schnucks’ St. Louis headquarters, networking opportunities, and $5,000 of equity-free funding:
- B. Happy Peanut Butter
- Chef Pure Foods, LLC
- ChiChi Foods
- Eccentric Earth, LLC
- El Café Cubano
- Hink’s Smokehouse
- Nari
- Springfield Trading Company
- Tastachio Brands LLC
- 3 Bears Granola
If these companies meet food safety, insurance and certification requirements, they will receive an in-store product trial at select Schnucks stores in the spring of 2027. You can learn more about the owners and their products by visiting Schnucks Springboard.
"We are thrilled to welcome our third Schnucks Springboard cohort, a group that truly embodies the innovation and entrepreneurial drive thriving right here in the Midwest," said Adrian Moore, Schnucks Senior Director of Merchandising Enablement & Emerging Suppliers. "By bringing these talented local makers onto our shelves, we aren’t just expanding our product variety, we are actively investing in our communities and fueling local economic growth. When we champion these homegrown brands, we strengthen the regional supply chain and give our customers front-row access to the very best our neighbors have to offer."
Schnucks Springboard launched in 2024 and recently welcomed the second cohort’s products to store shelves for a trial run.
About Schnucks
Founded in St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is a third and fourth generation, family-owned grocery retailer committed to nourishing people’s lives. Schnucks operates 112 stores, serving customers in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana and employs more than 11,000 teammates. According to Forbes’ 2025 rankings, Schnucks is the 185th largest privately-owned company in the United States and the 13th largest privately-owned grocer. Schnucks is committed to helping communities thrive, and as a champion for reducing hunger, the company annually donates more than $15 million in food to pantries that help those in need.
Schnucks is part of 1939 Group, Inc., which is owned by the family that founded Schnuck Markets, Inc., and named after the year they opened the first Schnucks store. Other members of the family of companies include Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers, Inc.
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