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Our Story

Michelle Pusateri, Nana Joes Granola Founder

Hello, Michelle here, #1 Granola Lover and Founder of Nana Joes Granola!

Born in the Sunset, Raised in the Dogpatch.

I started Nana Joes Granola in 2010 with the goal of bringing all natural, whole food ingredients back to the grocery store shelves. The road to success has been filled with so many highs and the lowest of lows but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Beginning with blissful and messy pasta and pizza making sessions with my father, comfort, for me, could always be found in the kitchen. The kitchen is where I have always felt 100% myself and at peace. The polaroid you see on each bag of granola is a photograph of my parents in 1968 laughing after a home-cooked meal. They taught me that good food is about wholesome ingredients prepared with love and care and shared with family and friends. 

Black and White Photo of Michelle's Parents

When I was just a teenager I started waiting tables and making cappuccinos at the local mall café. This experience sparked my love affair with the fast paced environment of food service. After bartending for 15 years I decided to make a change and take a few culinary classes at the local community college and within one week of taking Basics of Baking and Pastry I fell in love with the science of baking. The idea that you can create bread or pastries from a few ingredients and your instincts intrigued me and I was smitten from that point forward.   

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, I moved to San Francisco, California where I worked as a pastry cook at The Fairmont Hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel, Nopa and was the Pastry Chef at Magnolia Brewing and Nopalito before starting Nana Joes Granola in 2010!

Starting Nana Joes Granola was my moment of realization that I had a gift for baking and something special to give to the San Francisco community.

I'm so glad you're here, thanks for being on this EPIC Granola Life Journey with us!

🧡 Michelle Pusateri, Master Granola Maker

 

P.S. If you ever want to say hi or see what we're up to, subscribe to my monthly newsletter here or contact us here.

Nana Joes Granola in spoons

 

Our Values

We believe in community before profit.

Nana Joes Granola is about more than just EPIC granola. We believe a business is only as strong as its community and the path to success must include the health and wellness of the people around you. We have always made sure to include our community in our day to day and big picture decisions because without our community we are nothing. 

We believe in uplifting our employees.

A livable wage job in the manufacturing industry is difficult to come by, especially in San Francisco, which is why we start all of our employees above minimum wage with many opportunities for advancement. Many of our employees have been with us since the beginning and we have created a vibrant community of folks  who love what they do and are excited to come in each day to bake! 

We believe in integrity.

Nana Joes Granola was founded on the idea of creating a gluten-free and celiac friendly granola that is truly different and unique. A piece of that is using 100% whole food ingredients, straight from mother earth that are delicious and nutritious. We skipped the refined sugars, the ‘weird’ oils, the preservatives and ‘natural flavorings’ to make room for certified organic ingredients including real organic oats, non-GMO verified ingredients and lots of wholesome goodness that will leave you full and sustain you all morning long. 

 

Related: Oatmeal vs. Granola: A Healthy Breakfast Guide 

 

 

Nana Joes Granola is not affiliated with Microbiotic Health Foods Incorporated, d/b/a Nana’s Cookie Company.

Updated January 3, 2024.