Oaty Toaty is a gluten-free granola company working to turn around the bland, processed, low-quality reputation behind allergen-friendly foods. The brand is dedicated to providing fun, high-quality, and tasty snacks for those with dietary restrictions. Oaty Toaty was founded by Abby Cheney, a sophomore studying marketing at the University of Utah.
At age 11, Cheney was diagnosed with Celiac disease, which immediately limited the scope of snacks that she was able to enjoy. She noticed that gluten-free snack options were often overprocessed, tasteless, and lacked creativity.
“When you have an allergy, it’s hard to find food that works for you and tastes good,” Cheney said. “I wanted to make a snack that was easy to take on the go but was also good for you.”
With that in mind, Cheney decided to start coming up with her own line of gluten-free granola. It became an instant hit with her family, and she decided that she wanted to go further with it.
Cheney was then led to the University of Utah and Lassonde Founders — a residential student-entrepreneur program — which helped her take the next steps to get Oaty Toaty off the ground.
Since the beginning of her time at Lassonde, Cheney has been able to develop her original granola recipe into an allergen-friendly brand that maintains quality and personality. Oaty Toaty currently carries three flavors: Blue Voodoo, Coco Loco, and PB&J. Cheney aspires to start selling her product in pop-up shops around Utah, as well as health stores and other supermarkets.
“I appreciate entrepreneurship because you’re always learning something new,” Cheney said. “This can make it challenging at times, but you get to grow throughout the process — and so do your customers. I feel like everyone deserves to enjoy snacking, and that’s not something people with allergies always get to do. That’s why I wanted to create an inclusive snack for everyone to enjoy.”
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2024 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
