MORTON GROVE, Ill., Jan. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifeway Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY), the leading U.S. supplier of kefir fermented dairy and probiotic products to support the microbiome, today announced its distribution expansion with Freshii, the fast-growing health and wellness restaurant chain, which will now offer Lifeway frozen kefir and smoothies in all United States locations. Lifeway and Freshii began their partnership in Chicago metropolitan area stores and have steadily expanded availability based on positive results from subsequent test markets. The nationwide distribution of Lifeway’s frozen kefir and smoothies began in December, with availability in all U.S. stores expected by the first quarter of 2019.
Lifeway and Freshii have a shared vision of making healthy food convenient, approachable and accessible. With these curated smoothies and soft serve kefir options, guests can stop by and enjoy a quick, satisfying and nutritious snack anytime.
“Lifeway’s expanded probiotic offering at one of the nation’s largest healthy, fast casual restaurants signals our easy to digest, gut-healthy kefir treats are top of mind for consumers seeking out nutritious food options across all channels, not just at the grocery store,” said Julie Smolyansky, Lifeway Foods’ CEO.
Lifeway’s soft serve frozen kefir is a healthy, delicious dessert and on-the-go snack that’s packed with probiotic benefits. In addition to soft serve kefir, Freshii will offer fresh fruit smoothie options made with Lifeway Kefir, including the Freshii Green, Banana Nut Crunch and Recoverii smoothies. The soft serve kefir will be available to pair with a variety of toppings like almonds, strawberries, dried cranberries, green apple, honey, mango and walnuts.
Since launching in 2005, Freshii has opened more than 350 stores with plans to continue their rapid expansion. Freshii was recently awarded No. 1 Brand of the Year among FastCasual’s Movers & Shakers.
Healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss accounted for the second-largest segment of self-care in 2017, up 4.1% to $702.1 billion globally according to Investor’s Business Daily. Probiotic and gut healthy foods like Lifeway Kefir are predicted by sites like Everyday Health to be among the top food and wellness trends of 2019. The global kefir market was valued at around $1.57 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach approximately $2.42 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of around 6.4% between 2018 and 2024, noted Zion Market Research.
About Lifeway Foods, Inc.
Founded in 1986, Lifeway Foods, Inc., is America’s leading supplier of the probiotic fermented beverage known as kefir. Named one of Forbes’ Best Small Companies, Lifeway Foods probiotic products including drinkable kefir, frozen kefir, specialty cheeses, supplements and a ProBugs line
for kids to help support the microbiome. Lifeway’s tart and tangy cultured dairy products are sold across the United States, Latin America and the United Kingdom. Lifeway also offers frozen soft serve kefir, smoothies and fresh-pressed juices at The Kefir Shop, boutique frozen kefir cafes in Chicago, IL.
Find Lifeway Foods on Facebook: http://facebook.com/lifewaykefir
Follow Lifeway Foods on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lifeway_kefir
Watch clips on YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/lifewaykefir
For more information, visit http://lifewaykefir.com/
About Freshii
Eat. Energize. That’s the Freshii mantra. Freshii is a health and wellness brand on a mission to help citizens of the world live better by making healthy eating convenient and affordable. With a diverse and completely customizable menu of breakfast, soups, salads, wraps, bowls, burritos, frozen yogurt, juices, and smoothies served in an eco-friendly environment, Freshii caters to every taste and dietary preference.
Since it was founded in 2005, Freshii has opened over 420 restaurants in more than 17 countries around the world. Now, guests can energize with Freshii’s menu anywhere from cosmopolitan cities and fitness clubs to sports arenas and airplanes.
Inquire about how to join the Freshii family: https://freshii.com/us/franchising.
Learn more about investing in Freshii: http://ir.freshii.com.
Learn about the Freshii brand: https://vimeo.com/195658178.
Find your nearest Freshii: http://www.freshii.com.
Follow Freshii on Twitter and Instagram: @freshii
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this release (and oral statements made regarding the subjects of this release) contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, future operating and financial performance, product development, market position, business strategy and objectives. These statements use words, and variations of words, such as “expect,” “vision,” “will,” “predict,” “grow,” and “trend.” Other examples of forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, (i) statements of Company plans and objectives, including the introduction of new products, or estimates or predictions of actions by customers or suppliers, (ii) statements of future economic performance, and (III) statements of assumptions underlying other statements and statements about Lifeway or its business. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events and thus are inherently subject to uncertainty. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Lifeway’s expectations and projections. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include: price competition; the decisions of customers or consumers; the actions of competitors; changes in the pricing of commodities; the effects of government regulation; possible delays in the introduction of new products; and customer acceptance of products and services. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors can be found in Lifeway’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, and the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these filings are
available online at https://www.sec.gov, http://lifewaykefir.com/investor-relations/, or on request from Lifeway. Information in this release is as of the dates and time periods indicated herein, and Lifeway does not undertake to update any of the information contained in these materials, except as required by law. Accordingly, YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS OR OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED IN ANY ARCHIVED PRESS RELEASE.
Company Contact:
Derek Miller
847-967-1010
DerekM@Lifeway.net
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6a66644-ea43-4d57-a62b-ec39f557f56e