Barnhorn sees two variables that will shape the kombucha market. Kombucha is headed towards large mainstream success.”īrad Barnhorn, a leading board member to natural products brands in food and beverage, sees a similar shakeout to the category, even as GT’s maintains its solid footing as an entrenched leader. But others like KeVita, Health-Ade, Humm, and Revive are following GT’s lead and filling out the kombucha umbrella. “The kombucha category will be huge,” says Burgmaier, “and GT’s will always play a major role-that is clear. They were a visionary, and they executed.”īut will the party last? Experts predict that kombucha has only begun to go mainstream, which means increased competition from well-heeled brands willing to differentiate away from kombucha’s core faithful. Mike Burgmaier of Whipstitch Capital puts it this way: “GT’s pioneered a category that has brought health, wellness, and refreshment to consumers, and helped enable many new kombucha upstarts to the category. GT’s own vision and connection with his fans makes for a smaller-company feel.” “I don’t know that a corporately-owned brand would have survived. “But GT’s has barreled through all of the controversies because of the tightly wired connection between the company and those consumers.” During the fermentation issues, the biggest concern for the customers was, simply, when will the products be back? Which speaks to a loyal group of believers, says Klineman. “If you look at some categories-particularly for edgier products-the first guy through the door always takes the gunshots,” says Jeff Klineman, editor-in-chief at BevNET. The company ultimately launched a new line to address regulatory concerns and brought back its original formula with age warnings on label. While competitors exited the market or adjusted manufacturing with quicker ferments and added carbonation to get back on shelves within weeks, GT’s took more than three months to adjust its chemistry. When The Great Recall hit kombucha in 2010 over concerns that alcohol content was creeping above 2 percent as products continued to ferment on shelf (0.5% is the legal limit), Whole Foods yanked bottles and millions in sales vanished overnight.
He owns 100% of his company, shuns co-packing, and emphasizes quality over profit at every chance he gets. “Their devotion to the kombucha space, dedication to high-quality products, and commitment to their consumers has established a high bar for the rapidly growing market segment.” Indeed, GT is known to be something of a control freak, as many founders prove to be. “As a company, GT’s has fundamentally developed the kombucha category in the U.S.,” says Mike Bush, President of Ganeden and a key supplier to GT’s probiotic blend. attribute all manner of health benefits to its consumption, from detoxification and digestion to focus and mood. GT’s mom, Laraine, credits kombucha for helping her survive an aggressive breast cancer, and early converts to the beverage in the U.S.
Health struggles plagued the family over the years, delivering a personal resonance to the benefits of kombucha as a living, raw, probiotic elixir. GT’s began as a home-brew operation heavily inspired by the Eastern philosophies espoused by the Dave family on their frequent trips-with a young GT in tow-to Indian ashrams. Some quick math then posits GT’s as a $350 million enterprise, and, unlike many of the competitors now surfacing in its wake, the company remains independently owned and operated by its charismatic founder. Industry sources place kombucha sales at north of $600 million, with GT’s commanding at least 50% of that total. His company, GT’s Kombucha, created the kombucha category at retail, and it’s a category he continues to dominate after more than 20 years in business. GT Dave owes a lot to kombucha, and kombucha owes a lot to GT Dave.
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