hi readers! my name is morgan lerner, co-founder of gonanas with annie slabotsky, and we want to welcome you to our page and share the story of how gonanas got started.
annie and i moved into the uofm freshman dorms right next to each other— yes we were good old neighbors, but funny enough, we were not friends for the whole first semester. we were both members of spoon university though, an international food publication and club on campus (classic), and soon enough bonded over our passion for food, health, and baking, and began walking to club meetings and working out together. *cue the start of our best friendship* then, one day, given our mutual love for and familial tie to baking, and more specifically, banana bread, we decided to “healthify” the classic treat, embarking on a trip to annie’s house in birmingham to mess around in kitchen. after a full day of baking and perfecting a batter, a burned yet delicious loaf of a wholesome zucchini banana bread was made-- pinterest and family-recipe inspired-- and we knew we were on to something. on the drive back, amidst our excitement, “go bananas”—the first iteration of gonanas—was born.
we officially launched the company on october 4th, 2016 with an “upscale bake sale,” and then began our e-commerce business, delivering our medium-sized loaves once a week on sundays. soon after though, we restructured our business model and changed to become retail- business, selling our now single-serve “gonanas” loaves at cafes salad’s up and fred’s in ann arbor. our whole idea was to make something just as delicious as the bread we knew and loved, but much more nutritious, so that we and other people on and beyond our campus could have access to healthy on the go treats that were just as tasty and satisfying. we believe living a healthy life is all about balance— eating nutritious and delicious foods to feed your body and your soul— so we hope our breads make that easier and more enjoyable for you!
now today, we sell to over 30+ retailers (locations page) in the state of michigan and beyond. stay tuned for the exciting things to come, and thanks for the support and believing in what we do.
