Business & Tech

Family Makes Granola, Gives Back

Starting in November, the Hermosa Beach family-run business, By Hand Granola, will donate some of its profit to a cause. What charity should it support next? Tell us in the comments.

In a quiet beachside corner of Hermosa Avenue, the family-run business By Hand Granola operates.

Packages of fresh granola are ready for shipment and Whit McCarthy, the eldest son in the family, types business transactions on his computer.

The company—that includes Whit, his mother Suzy and sister Kelly—has been selling Suzy's homespun granola since last year.

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"We made our first sale Dec. 1 to , right on Sepulveda," Whit said. "Since then we’ve picked up 13 more stores and now are in the stage of a pretty rapid expansion."

Due to this success, starting in November, the operation will donate a percentage of its profit to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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When asked why such a young business would give away some of its sales, Whit replied, "It’s a duty of ours to go out there and give back. Service to others is your rent that you pay on this earth."

The McCarthy family moved to Hermosa Beach from the East Coast in September last year. As Gary, the father, began to work in the area and youngest son Andrew began his studies at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., the rest of the family launched By Hand Granola.

Whit, who graduated from Colby College in Maine last year, was excited "to get something going" with his mom and "develop a business around her great product," he said.

During a summer trip to the island of Nantucket in 2005, Suzy tasted a batch of granola that would forever change her life.

"The only thing was when she asked for the ingredient list, it had a bunch of butter, added sugars, and that’s why it tasted so good," Whit said. "My mom wanted to find a way to make a nutritious version of that."

And she did, with By Hand Granola. Now Hermosa Beach residents can find the homemade snack in , hotel, , and .

"It’s been such an amazing experience, developing a business from the ground up," Whit said. "We're happy to be where we're at and we want to give back whenever possible."

After November, Whit said that By Hand Granola will continue to "give back" and donate to a different charity every other month.

What good cause do you suggest By Hand Granola focus on next?


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