Press Release

In 2014, due to many requests from individuals wanting to buy a Totally Nutz franchise, Matt & Yvette Barker began to franchise their proven business concept. Utah was the only state the Barker’s retained for their family. Every other state is open to potential franchisees.

One of the biggest “ah-ha” moments that Totally Nutz franchisees have occurs during new franchisee training when they realize how fun and lucrative gift boxes sales can be to their business. There is year-round income potential in gift box sales.

Totally Nutz Utah has been setting up Totally Nutz kiosks in five Utah mall locations since 1990. It is a very active time for every member of their family. Besides staffing all five locations, they are creating and delivering gift boxes all over Utah.

With the holidays comes the need for businesses to decide what type of gift they would like to give to their staff and clients and for individuals to pick holiday gifts for family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. With so much production taking place, the Barker’s are freshly roasting and glazing nuts beginning at 3 a.m. in their corporate kitchen. They are creating gift boxes and bags of delicious treats which include seasonal varieties.

After 28 years the Barker’s have their gift box creation process down to a science. It starts with the freshly roasting, glazing and cooling of their 3-nut varieties: almonds, cashews, and pecans. Once the nuts have been cooled, they are weighed and placed in the gift box bases, along with other seasonal nut varieties including salted mixed nuts, chocolate toffee almonds, chocolate almonds, butter toffee peanuts, and salted cashews.

After the gift box bases have been filled with the nuts, they go onto a small conveyor belt where they are heat sealed in plastic to preserve freshness and wrapped with a bow. Every week deliveries are made to the 5 area malls and corporate orders are fulfilled.

“During the holidays, our bestselling gift boxes are our Starlight Tree Gift Box and the Mulberry Gift Box. The Starlight Tree comes with cinnamon glazed almonds, butter toffee peanuts, and chocolate almonds. The Mulberry comes with cinnamon glazed almonds and chocolate toffee covered almonds,” stated Yvette. Yvette Barker calls the chocolate toffee almonds a “Little Slice of Heaven”.