For more than 20 years, the Kohl family has farmed dates in California's Coachella Valley, developing a deep appreciation for the fruit and the care it takes to grow it well. Seeing an opportunity to introduce more people to this incredible fruit, David Kohl partnered with Greg Willsey, a seasoned entrepreneur and former Wonderful Company executive, to cofound Joolies in 2018.
Together, they built a passionate team with one mission: introduce more people to the joy of dates through fresh ideas, thoughtful products, and uncompromising quality.
Since then, Joolies has grown from fresh dates into an expanding family of date-based snacks, partnering with trusted growers who share our commitment to quality and responsible farming. In 2020, David and Greg purchased Desert Valley Date, one of the largest packers of date fruit in the country, which we now consider a "sister company."
Today, Joolies and Desert Valley Date remain family owned and operated, bringing thoughtfully sourced dates from palm tree to package with the same care and passion that started it all.
It all started with a farm
Long before there was a brand, there was a family farm.
For more than 20 years, the Kohl family has been growing organic Medjool dates in California's Coachella Valley, learning what it takes to grow an exceptionally good date while caring for the land that makes it all possible.
The dates? Absolutely delicious.
The date aisle? Let's just say it was overdue for a glow-up.
Changing The date-ing game
Longtime date grower David Kohl partnered with entrepreneur Greg Willsey with one simple idea: What if dates finally got the spotlight they deserve?
Together, they launched Joolies, a fresh, playful brand on a mission to change the date-ing game.
Even our name came from family. David's young kids couldn't quite say "Medjool," so they called them "Joolies." The nickname stuck... along with the date pits hiding in the couch cushions.
Doing dates differently
Joolies made its debut in our now-iconic, bold mint-green packaging that was impossible to miss in a category that had been blending into the shelf for ages.
From day one, we believed great brands should do more than look good. Thoughtful farming practices, sustainability, reducing food waste, and making Medjool dates feel fresh, fun, and approachable have always been part of who we are.
We weren't just launching a brand—we were helping kick off a new era for date snacking.
Growing the movement
Turns out, people were ready to rethink dates.
As more snack lovers discovered what we'd known all along, Joolies found its way into more homes, more retailers, and more everyday moments, while cultivating a community that loves dates as much as we do.
Along the way, we celebrated meaningful milestones, from launching new products and award-winning innovations to unexpected collaborations that brought fresh energy to one of the world's oldest fruits.
With every step, our mission stayed the same:
Help more people fall in love with dates.
Still just getting started
These days, you'll find Joolies products in thousands of stores across North America. But we're still chasing the same idea that inspired us from the beginning: dates deserve a bigger place in modern snacking.
Changing the date-ing game means breaking a few rules. So we'll keep pushing the category forward through creativity, innovation, and a healthy dose of curiosity, finding new ways to help more people discover just how delicious, versatile, and joyful date snacking can be.
Because while dates have been around for thousands of years...
their main-character moment is just getting started.
The future is sweet
We're here to make more people fall in love with dates. Here's to changing the date-ing game.
