Dave and Jan Marson, co-founders of waffle producer Marson Foods, have achieved long, successful careers in baking. And they’re dedicated to putting what they’ve earned back into their community. 

For example, after selling their previous business, Nature’s Bakery, to Kind in 2020, the Marsons wanted to give back to their former employees. 

“People got money [following the sale], but nothing really life changing,” Jan Marson explained. 

“So we took the ZIP codes of all the former employees and started the Serving Our Communities Foundation, and set money aside to give back to those communities.”

Last year, Serving Our Communities kicked off Food City STL, a St. Louis-based project that’s donated nearly $450,000 to food entrepreneurs, farmers and other food-serving organizations. 

“It’s really celebrating the underrepresented folks,” Jan Marson said. “It’s about community.”

Marson Foods has additionally partnered with Feeding America, donating its waffles as well as $1 million to the national nonprofit over three years. The partnership had the added benefit of allowing Marson Foods to get its waffles to the public during its three-year retail noncompete following the sale of Nature’s Bakery.

“We were able to get an exposure of the product and build a platform and not even have a place to buy the product yet,” Dave Marson said. 

He made a commitment to support the food industry after selling Nature’s Bakery, and he and Jan want that support to be as hands-on as possible.

“We like to be a part of the groups we’re investing in,” he said. “We take that approach to be more of a mom and pop that’s right there with you.”

This article is an excerpt from the August 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Marson Foods, click here.