When Wes King moved to South Lake Tahoe from Tennessee in 2005, like many other transplants he became enamored with the area’s natural surroundings and quickly settled into his new home. Besides just reveling in the ski bum lifestyle, he also wanted to find a way to bring more awareness to the area’s sensitive environment.
King didn’t foresee that an energy bar would be the conduit to pulling this off, but by working for five years improving the Tahoe Trail Bar and establishing the brand in major grocery outlets in California and Nevada, he did just that. The bar currently sells in Raley’s, Safeway, and Whole Foods, as well as in local shops such as Coffeebar in Truckee. But despite the growth, the company’s core values have stayed the same.
“In a lot of respects, we are the same now as when we were small,” King said. “The main goal now is to just keep doing what we have been doing because we’re growing so fast.”
The Tahoe Trail Bar had its beginnings in a small South Lake coffee shop in the early 2000s, where ingredients like chocolate chips, Quaker oats, corn flakes, peanut butter, and more were mixed in a big bowl before being carved into rectangular shapes. King wasn’t involved with the bar at the inception but was an acquaintance of a woman who worked at the coffee shop. He saw the bar’s potential and believed more people could stand to gain from the benefits of a top- notch energy bar given the amount of active people in the Basin.
King purchased the company in 2010. Production of the bar and customer interest ramped up significantly. He looked for a commercial kitchen so he could improve output, realizing demand was soon going to outgrow his ability to manufacture the bars.
“I didn’t really have any idea how much was involved at the beginning; I was just a ski bum,” King said. “I wanted to deliver bars to people out of the back of my Subaru.”
In 2010, King moved operations to a commercial facility in Carson City, Nev. as demand grew. With increased production he added North Lake, Gardnerville, and other small markets near Tahoe.
In 2012, King hired a commercial baker and moved production to Oakland, though the spirit remained in Tahoe. At the same time, King successfully pursued contracts with larger grocery chains. He also redesigned the packaging and altered the ingredients to make the bar vegan and gluten-free. The Tahoe Trail Bar is available in only one flavor — Peanut Butter Plus — and contains simple ingredients like coconut, crisp rice, cranberries, and peanuts.
Not Just Another Energy Bar
King acknowledges that the energy bar industry is a crowded market and has found that achieving success is a multifaceted effort.
“Anybody can put together ingredients to make a bar, but having that perfect combination of great taste, good ingredients, and dietary consideration, and then to also make it at a cost that will return you money over time, that’s the magic ingredient,” he said.
He also remains fiercely devoted to a Tahoe product that is built for those who go out on the trail.
“I really feel like the Tahoe Trail Bar embodies what Tahoe is all about — it’s about adventure, getting out, and enjoying the outdoors. It’s about clean air and clean energy,” King said. “This is Tahoe’s product.”
Along the way, he incorporated local friends and athletes to represent the bar, and has built a cadre of brand ambassadors that recreate anywhere from the recreation to pro level, including Sean Cronin, Joanne Dzierzawski, and Trevor DeRuise.
King has given back to a variety of local nonprofits including the High Fives Foundation, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, Disabled Sports USA Far West, Boarding for Breast Cancer, and Friends of Nevada Wilderness. He is also a member of One Percent for the Planet.
For the future, King plans on adding two or three new flavors to the line, but is content keeping the game plan as it has always been.
“It’s a gift to be running a company that has to do with Tahoe,” King said. “I wouldn’t say I have any ownership of that Tahoe spirit, I just get to be a custodian.”
To purchase bars online, read the blog from the ambassadors, or to become a vendor, visit tahoetrailbar.com.
~ Where do you enjoy your Tahoe Trail Bar? Tell us at moonshineink.com.
