Utah's own Trü Frü moves downtown as it expands into global market

SALT LAKE CITY — Trü Frü's new office in the heart of downtown may not live up to the picture of a confectionery headquarters depicted in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

But Harvey Millar, the company's CEO, believes it has all the elements a growing confectionery brand would want as it takes on a global market.

There's a test kitchen for new or improved recipes, a TikTok studio to push out fresh marketing content and a chocolate-covered strawberry sculpture oozing from a stairwell near its entrance on the 14th floor of the 170 S. Main building. The two-level office also offers stunning views of the city around it, leaving employees nearly eye-to-eye with the Walker Center tower across the street.

"This gives us the chance to really establish our footprint in Salt Lake and take advantage of the best it has to offer," he told employees who had gathered together for a ceremony celebrating Trü Frü's new corporate office Wednesday afternoon.

Trü Frü, which debuted in West Valley City nearly a decade ago, focusing on frozen and freeze-dried chocolate-covered fruit, officially moved in earlier this month ahead of an official ceremony on Wednesday.

The fast-growing company won over the American market since its origin, expanding from a few people to about 50 employees by the end of 2022. That's when global snacking giant Mars Inc. swooped in and made the acquisition.

Millar took over when the company's co-founders stepped down, overseeing its next round of growth. There are now about 70-80 employees and Millar says the brand has doubled its business since being acquired by Mars and expanded marketing to enter the global market. One of Trü Frü's latest marketing moves was to become a sponsor during Utah Hockey Club games.

The company's new headquarters, with all those fancy little features, is another step in its ambitious expansion plans.

"We're so glad that you're here — and it's a heartfelt welcome," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

While downtown Salt Lake City has struggled to bring back its pre-pandemic COVID-19 downtown worker population, Millar said his company felt the city's shift to a more residential and entertainment destination matched the brand's "vibrancy." It offers many food and leisure options for employees to enjoy before or after work, or during a break.

And since it's located within a block of a TRAX station and the state's busiest bus corridor, the location offers additional transportation options beyond the tower's parking lot.

"At a time while you're trying to attract and retain the best talent, having a really cool, vibrant place to work is part of the equation when people are deciding which company to join," he said. "For all those reasons, downtown felt exactly like the right spot for us — and we're so pleased with it so far."

The company wants to "double and triple" its size, which would bring more jobs to Salt Lake City.

Meanwhile, another Mars brand also has Salt Lake City on its mind. Nature's Bakery is on track to open a massive $237-million baking facility in the city's northwest quadrant later this year and is expected to bring in nearly another 200 jobs.

Company officials said Wednesday they see Utah's capital "becoming a home" for Mars, much like other major cities it operates from. Mendenhall said she's thrilled with the jobs that sentiment is now bringing to the community.

"We are so grateful that Mars is feeling the home vibes in Salt Lake City — a huge amount of investment," she said.

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