Elmhurst 1925 has entered national retail with its Clean Protein ready-to-drink line, landing on shelves at Sprouts Farmers Market locations across the country. Sprouts is the brand's first national retail partner for the product, marking a significant distribution milestone for the Elma, N.Y.-based plant-based dairy maker.
The Clean Protein line is positioned squarely in the better-for-you beverage segment, delivering 27g of high-quality plant-based protein, 190 calories, and as few as 3g of sugar per serving. The formulation contains no artificial ingredients, aligning with the clean-label demand that has reshaped both retail and foodservice buying decisions over the past several years. For operators and buyers tracking plant-based beverage trends, the Sprouts rollout signals continued retail appetite for minimally processed, protein-forward options.
For restaurant and hospitality operators sourcing RTD beverages for grab-and-go programs, hotel minibars, or wellness-oriented menus, Elmhurst 1925's positioning offers a notable benchmark. The brand has built its identity around what it calls "Signature Simplicity" — short ingredient decks and a dairy-free profile that appeals to a broad swath of health-conscious, allergen-aware consumers. Coverage from Food & Beverage Magazine has tracked how clean-label protein beverages are increasingly crossing over from retail into hospitality and foodservice channels as guest expectations around nutrition transparency rise.
The Sprouts partnership puts the Clean Protein line in front of a health-focused shopper base that closely mirrors the guest profiles many better-for-you restaurant concepts and wellness hospitality venues are actively courting. As restaurant beverage program innovation accelerates, RTD protein drinks from established plant-based brands are becoming a credible component of non-alcoholic menu strategies. Elmhurst 1925's move into national retail distribution may well precede a broader push into foodservice accounts.
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.
