UPDATE: June 14, 2021: Misfits Market is now coming to Dallas on Wednesday, June 16, a company spokesperson wrote in an email. The e-grocer's entry into Dallas will initially create 100 jobs, followed by roughly 300 jobs within the first year and 500 total by the second year. 

“Dallas is Misfit’s entry point into the south, being one of the largest distribution and logistics hubs and food suppliers in the country," Chris Nelson, Misfits' chief operating officer, said. 

Dive Brief:

• Misfits Market plans to add Texas to its growing list of states where it delivers when it enters the Dallas market on June 20, a company spokesperson said.
• The e-grocer also recently debuted upcycled granola through an arrangement with seed-based foods maker 88 Acres, the spokesperson said. Misfits' exclusive Cinnamon Maple Edge’nola is made from edge pieces made during the production of 88 Acres’ Cinnamon & Oats Seed+Oat Bar Thins, a free snack option on JetBlue flights.
• The upcoming Texas launch and newly released upcycled granola are part of Misfits' plans to create a new food supply chain and scale its business. 

Dive Insight:

Misfits Market has centered its mission by taking food that would otherwise go to waste, like unusually shaped produce, and selling it directly to consumers. To date, the e-grocer has reduced more than 170 million pounds of produce. 

Based in Delanco, New Jersey, the e-grocer has grown since its founding in 2018 to deliver to 37 states and Washington, D.C. The debut in Texas comes on the heels of Misfits' West Coast expansion. After launching in Dallas later this month, Misfits plans to expand to the rest of the state, the spokesperson said. 

Misfits recently surpassed a $1 billion valuation when it announced in April it raised $200 million to finish its West Coast expansion and grow its selection of fresh produce, protein and pantry items. The company is also looking to double its number of employees by the end of the year and continuing to invest in technology to boost logistics and help scale growth, Abhi Ramesh, founder and CEO of Misfits, wrote in a blog post in April. 

"If you had any doubt about our ability to scale, consider that in the first four months of 2021 alone, Misfits Market has rescued the same amount of food as we saved in all of 2020," Ramesh wrote. 

The partnership with JetBlue and 88 Acres furthers Misfits' efforts to combat food waste. The Cinnamon Maple Edge’nola was released at the end of May and costs $3.99, the spokesperson said. 88 Acres, which first partnered with JetBlue in 2020 on the seed bar thins, produces the granola clusters at its zero-food waste bakery in Boston, the spokesperson said. Previously, Misfits has teamed up with other companies, like Taza Chocolate, to upcycle excess food products. 

Food waste is an expensive issue for the grocery industry. Feeding America estimates that 108 billion pounds of food, which is worth more than $161 billion, is wasted in the U.S. each year. As grocers look to tackle this, one solution is upcycled foods, which Whole Foods forecasted as a top trend for 2021.