Nude Foods Market Takes Its Zero-Waste Mission to Shark Tank

“The most sustainable grocery store on Earth.” Verity Noble, co-founder of Nude Foods Market, knows that’s a bold claim. But she notes that “we are probably one of the only stores working in the way that we do,” with carefully sourced, eco-conscious foods packaged and sold entirely in reusable containers. 

Founded in 2020, Nude Foods now has brick-and-mortar locations in Boulder and Berkeley, and aims to open at least three more stores in the metro area prior to national expansion. In an effort to secure funding for that goal and further its zero-waste mission, Nude Foods went on ABC’s Shark Tank; the episode will air at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.

In its pitch, Nude Foods makes a compelling argument and confronts several industry pitfalls. “The grocery industry is enormous, made up of many of the largest companies in the world,” says Nude Foods co-founder and CEO Rachel Irons. “It supports a food system built for the purpose of profit at the expense of animals, our environment and our own health.” 

Adds Noble, “Every piece of plastic ever made still exists, and recycling is not really a great thing.” Not only are local recycling services limited, but as she notes, “plastic can only be recycled a few times before it becomes completely useless. Then, it ends up in landfills and becomes microplastics that end up getting into our bodies” — a reality that is linked to a range of health issues.

As many consumers know, however, it’s nearly impossible to avoid purchasing single-use plastics. Noble was well familiar with this struggle. “For years before we started Nude Foods, I was schlepping all over the place, trying to find packaging-free products,” she recalls. “I couldn’t believe that Boulder did not have a zero-waste grocery store.” 

Irons and two other Boulder residents, Jimmy Udovich and Matt Arnold, affirmed this need, and so together, the four established Nude Foods. Given the effects of the pandemic, it began with a delivery model that encouraged slow, organic growth. By October 2021, its widening customer base supported its first storefront in Boulder. The Denver location followed in April 2024. 

Inside, shoppers will find neat rows of clear glass jars on shelves and inside refrigerators. Each container comes with a $1.50 rental fee; should you return the vessel on a future date, one dollar is reimbursed. For $15 a month, members avoid this cost and receive other benefits, including discounts.

You can also bring your own reusable containers to the store and stock up on common bulk items, such as wellness essentials, cleaning products and pantry staples like rice, beans and other dried goods. But Nude Foods offers much more. 

“We really try to have everything you’d have at a regular grocery store, just more sustainable, healthier and more local. All of our sourcing is based off of those three things,” says Irons, adding that the company makes its supply chain as transparent as possible. 

Of the nearly 2,000 items stocked, just about all are refined-sugar-free, and around 98 percent are plant-based. The few animal products offered are carefully sourced almost entirely from local producers. Nude Foods carries regenerative, organic-certified dairy, heritage-breed chicken, and regenerative beef and pork — choices Iron says are better for animal welfare and the environment.

“Ready-made meals are one of our biggest sellers,” Noble notes. The company’s in-house chef crafts eight wholesome, health-conscious recipes weekly. “The great thing about them is they literally go from jar to table in five minutes,” she explains. “All people have to do is reheat them and eat, so it’s zero-waste and zero work.”

Currently, Nude Foods preps these meals and re-packages goods bought in bulk in the back half of its Boulder location. The small space works, but the company is seeking a dedicated distribution center to improve production efficiency and serve future Front Range stores. Then, if its hub-and-spoke model proves successful, Nude Foods plans to replicate it in other metro areas. 

To fund expansion without risk of compromising their mission, the co-founders opted for community crowdfunding through Wefunder, which enables supporters to invest in future equity. Nude Foods recently met its $500,000 goal but given its upcoming Shark Tank feature, the company has reopened this fundraising round, increasing the target to $800,000 and granting space for others to be involved.

The big question: Did one of the Sharks bite on the company’s ambitious goals? “We’re not a typical Shark Tank company because usually, they go for those product-focused rather than a retail store,” admits Noble. But the reality show actually reached out to the company, encouraging Nude Foods to apply. 

At first, the co-founders were skeptical, questioning if the opportunity was genuine. But they put together a short application video anyway and then, after a single phone call, were asked to fly to the show’s filming location in Los Angeles. 

For Irons, the experience confirmed the mainstream potential of Nude Foods, despite how far its operations deviate from the norm. “That’s what Shark Tank shows — they’re only going to put companies on there that they think have the potential to really grow,” she says. 

And there’s a growing concern regarding the climate crisis, Noble adds, even if it’s overwhelming for many people. “They don’t know what to do about it so they kind of give up, because it feels like one person can’t make a difference,” she concludes. “But You can make a huge impact just by changing where you shop for groceries.”

Nude Foods will appear on ABC’s Shark Tank at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. Get tickets to the company’s watch party at the Posner Center, 1031 33rd Street; another viewing event in Boulder is TBA.