Meet Patter Gersuk | Founder/CEO Patterbar, a Denver based whole food energy bar company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patter Gersuk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patter, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In deciding to start the business, I broke it down into the following: 1.I felt there was an opportunity to make something that currently wasn’t available: everyone wants convenience, but there were no
whole food energy bars that tasted great on grocery shelves.
2. I believed that there was growing consumer demand for more nutritious and less processed packaged foods, which I have always
believed tastes better and are better for you.
3. As a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in London and with years of varied experience in the food industry, I felt strongly that I understood
how to efficiently produce a product.
4.I also know that I have boundless energy and determination with an unwavering belief that convenient real food should be available to
everybody.
5. It was the right time in my life as I had no obligations and could therefore devote all my time and energy to starting a business.
Knowing these fundamentals were in place, I sought out information and advice on starting a business in Denver. I attended a free
entrepreneurial class at Rocky Mountain Finance Group which provided many resources that I followed up on to determine if my idea
would be a viable business. For instance, the Denver Public Library offers free research assistance in their Biz Boost program which
helped me find out that there is a solid and growing demand in Denver for premium and healthy snacks.
With all this, I had the encouragement and help from a group of people who agreed to help make the idea a reality

What should our readers know about your business?
It has been challenging to start and run an energy bar company– there are so many energy bars and each one makes all kinds of health, nutrition, etc. claims. It has become incredibly difficult for small companies to differentiate ourselves without a significant marketing budget. So many people have told me it would be too difficult to compete with huge brands like Kelloggs and Quaker Oats, especially because of the hyper-processed and inexpensive ingredients they use. Patterbars are 100% whole food, which is completely different than a typical energy bar. Because of this, Patterbars are much more expensive to produce. I started Patterbar because I couldn’t find a convenient snack that was 100% whole food and not full of “Natural Flavors”, fillers, binders and highly refined sweeteners– and that also tasted good! Every nutritionist will tell you there is no substitute for whole food with all the nutrients, fiber, and minerals.
Because of my culinary background, I source each of our ingredients the same way I did when I was a chef: the best tasting and the most pure, with minimal processing. For example, we only use organic Medjool dates. From the beginning I was told that Medjools are not used in manufacturing because they are notoriously finicky: sticky, variable moisture levels, etc. I was determined to use them because they taste the best. I convinced one of the largest date farms in California to work with me to determine the exact moisture level needed for producing the bars without any binders, fillers, or processing agents. Just real, whole, dates.
We don’t use lemon oil or lemon flavor: we use real lemon zest. Our cherries have no juice, sugar or oil. I was able to find them from a cooperative farm in northern Michigan. Our blueberries also have nothing on them: just pure, dried blueberries from a family farm in Oregon. Because each of these ingredients are sourced so intentionally, they are expensive. But they taste better. And I know exactly what is in them.
As we grew and increased production, I was told we should use processing agents such as soy lecithin to make production more efficient. I was unwilling to compromise the integrity of the bar, and to this day, we use exactly the same ingredients and process I used when I made the bars for my children.
Every step I have faced nay-sayers and people who urged short-cuts that would be cheaper and easier. I did not relent because our mission is to provide convenient, whole food without compromise. Anything less means that Patterbar would be like every other bar out there: full of false promises and inferior flavor. I also know that today’s consumer wants authenticity and transparency. And this we can promise.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Union Station/LoDo Rocky Mountain National Park
Farmer’s Markets
Red Rocks
Drinks at top of Art Hotel
Santa Fe Art District/First Friday
Tattered Cover
Brasserie Brixton
The Greenwich
Mercantile
The Botanic Gardens
Beatrice and Woodsley for brunch
Local Jones

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Connor Anderson, Matt Wickiser, Matt Casatelli, were the three people who invested seed money and blood sweat and tears our first year—working the farmers markets, packaging the bars, selling and whatever was needed to be done. They all really helped launch the
company.
Connor is my son-in-law and has a finance background, which has been invaluable for the business end of things. He continues to
support Patterbar in so many ways—he even worked the Farmer’s Market for me this past Mother’s Day so I could have a break!
Victoria Anderson, my daughter, works with me and is in charge of operations, order fulfillment, and all administrative requirements.
Victoria came to work with me full-time two and a half years ago as she and Connor said I needed help to determine if the company
could truly grow and become viable. It’s been an incredible support and we couldn’t have grown to this stage without her participation.
Julia Gersuk, my other daughter, was critical in determining and refining our overall aesthetic and image direction from the beginning.
Her artistic sensibility and understanding of how best to translate Patterbar to the public has been amazing and our branding has
withstood the test of time.
Vince Armada was one of my first employees and was with me for more than four years. He helped make the bars with me when we
made them all by hand for two years. He was a culinary student at Johnson and Wales and then worked the Farmer’s Market with me
for three years—every single Sunday! He truly could do anything and did for me—I know I couldn’t have done it without him!
Finally, my husband John has been extraordinary! Supporting me in every way possible including helping me set up and break down
every Saturday and Sunday for the Farmers Markets at the break of dawn for six years. I couldn’t have done it alone.

Website: patter@patterbar.com

Instagram: @patterbar.com

Facebook: patterbardenver

Youtube: @patterbar