The Placement
JiMMYBAR! Functional Protein has secured shelf space in 23 Sam's Club warehouse locations across California and gone live on SamsClub.com with a 14-count variety pack of its Creatine Protein Bar — the brand's flagship functional snack and what it bills as the first creatine-infused protein bar on the U.S. market. The Sam's Club entry broadens a retail network that already includes Chevron ExtraMile and EG America, giving the Illinois-based brand meaningful reach into the forecourt and convenience channel.
The Product
Each bar in the variety pack delivers 20 grams of protein and a full 5-gram dose of creatine monohydrate — the full clinically studied serving — in two flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter and Double Fudge Brownie. The 14-count pack splits evenly between the two SKUs. JiMMYBAR! manufactures in-house in Elk Grove Village under a "Real Food First" approach, using a small-batch peanut butter base and avoiding the long ingredient decks common in mass-market protein bars. "Creatine has been one of the most researched supplements in the health and fitness space for decades, but it has mostly lived in an unappetizing tub of powder… until now," said Jim Simon, CEO and Co-Founder of JiMMYBAR! Functional Protein. "We created America's first Creatine Protein Bar to make getting your daily creatine serving as simple as grabbing a great-tasting, high-protein snack."
Channel Context
The Sam's Club deal matters for convenience operators tracking the functional-snack category because it validates club-channel demand for protein bars with active-ingredient positioning — a trend that has been migrating steadily into c-store coolers and grab-and-go sets. Protein bars with added functional ingredients like creatine, collagen, and MCT oil have been gaining facings alongside traditional energy drinks in high-traffic forecourt locations, as operators seek to lift inside-sales comps with health-oriented impulse purchases. JiMMYBAR!'s existing presence in Chevron ExtraMile and EG America stores puts the brand in fuel-and-convenience environments where the same fitness-focused consumer shops. Founded in 2014 by siblings Jim Simon and Nettie Del Prete, the brand has also expanded to Costco, GNC LiveWell, and Amazon, signaling a multi-channel strategy designed to follow its core consumer across retail formats. A parallel rollout in Mexico is underway, per the company.
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.
