Katie Lefkowitz, Founder and CEO of the “superfood” bar company Harken Sweetswas a self-described “Snickers fan” for most of her life. But when health concerns and a colon cancer scare “turned [her] world turned upside down,” she began treating food as medicine — and experimenting with the concept in her kitchen.
“I wanted to recreate those classic bars, but in a way that would make them healthier to eat,” Lefkowitz says. Entrepreneur“and that’s why I founded Harken.”
Lefkowitz was well-positioned to launch a better-for-you food brand. After earning a bachelor’s degree in the biological foundations of human behavior and consumer psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School, she worked as COO and then senior advisor at Caulipower, the company behind a line of frozen cauliflower-based products.
So in 2022, Lefkowitz brought that expertise to Harken. She named the company to “bring back to those good old days when you could enjoy all the candy you wanted and not feel like you were in hell,” she says.
“We see ourselves as the third wave in the chocolate industry, [where] “Candy bars have functional benefits.”
According to Lefkowitz, the chocolate market has modified over time, and Harken strives to sustain with those changes.
“We had the classic, like the Snickers of the universe,” he explains. “Then it evolved into a more natural version, so they might have taken the corn syrup out, but they really didn’t change the nutritional value drastically. And so we see ourselves as the third wave in chocolate confectionery, [where] “Candy bars have functional benefits.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of Harken Sweets
Lefkowitz had to try “countless different versions” of what would grow to be a Harken standard in her kitchen — including dates to create the perfect bar. “We take dates [and] macerate them in a way that gives you that gooey, caramel-like texture,” Lefkowitz says. “We don’t use butter, sugar or classic caramel ingredients, and we still get that flavor and texture.”
But Lefkowitz notes that it’s one thing to create the perfect recipe in your own home kitchen—and quite one other to replicate it on a large scale. That was a challenge, he admits, but focusing on the product and the way it’s made in different manufacturing plants helped Harken overcome it.
Harken currently offers its high-fiber plant-based bars in several flavors, retailing for $39.99 for a 12-count box: The Nutty One, The Crunchy One and The Gooey One, all in date caramel flavor.
“We rolled it out to a lot of different retailers and we rolled it out to Walmart very early on.”
Although Harken started off with a direct-to-consumer approach, it didn’t take long for success to emerge. The company received a ton of positive feedback via email, Lefkowitz says, explaining that people were excited to have a nutritious treat that tasted good—“which is always hard to come by.” So Lefkowitz considered other avenues for growth and expansion.
“I still think retail is a huge area of interest for all food brands,” Lefkowitz says, “so we went after a lot of different retailers and we included Walmart very early on. [It] was our first national retailer.”
Lefkowitz has not used external financing to date, preferring to develop the brand on his own.
“It’s unusual for people in this industry,” he says.[But] It was essential to me to make sure I used to be running the business the way I assumed it must be run in these early stages. That doesn’t suggest we’ll never raise money, but I feel good about where we are and [proving] concept without the need to conduct a classic round of financing.”
“Innovation is absolutely central to our identity at Harken, and [we’re] “we wish to expand our business with additional products.”
Now, Harken is available in 3,500 Walmart stores nationwide. The company, which boasts 50x quarter-over-quarter growth, also has its products in KeHE, UNFI, ShopRite, Fairway, Gourmet Garage, McCaffrey’s, PopUp Grocer and Better Health Markets, with Albertsons and Fresh Market soon to follow, Lefkowitz says.
“I’m amazed at the increase in interest from retailers,” Lefkowitz adds.[It] showed how much demand there is for such a product in the checkout aisle.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of Harken Sweets
Lefkowitz looks forward to Harken’s continued growth and innovation, noting that there is still a lot of room in the market.
“Innovation is absolutely core to who we are at Harken,” says Lefkowitz, “and [we’re] we want to expand our business with additional products [and] product lines to continue to offer our customers products tailored to the occasions when they would like to have a healthier snack.”
“To be successful in this field, you have to work hard, really try every day.”
Needless to say, the “date superfood power” was not only the secret ingredient in Harken’s first healthy treat, but it also laid the foundation for a burgeoning brand that has built its values around the functional advantages that Lefkowitz sees as the way forward for the industry.
Lefkowitz encourages budding entrepreneurs looking for better-for-you food to experiment in their kitchens and find their own keys to success—because “you’d be surprised what you can do with even a handful of at-home samples.” Then just get began.
“Get it in front of people as quickly as possible,” Lefkowitz says. “Start testing, start iterating. And if you feel deep down that you have a winner, then you’re more likely to. To be successful in this space, you have to put in the work, really try every day, door to door, and you can make a huge difference.”