MALMO, Sweden — Oatly Group AB (Nasdaq: OTLY) (“Oatly” or the “Company”), the world’s original and largest oat drink company, today announced that beginning in January 2023, Oatly will become the brand standard oatmilk served at more than 20 Graduate Hotels properties. The handcrafted hotel collection targets dynamic university anchored towns across the U.S. and U.K., including locations in Chapel Hill, NC, Madison, WI, New Haven, CT, and Knoxville, TN, among others, and is known for celebrating the unique personality, history, and tradition of each community.
As part of the newly announced partnership, guests, visitors, and nearby students at Graduate Hotels locations will be able to enjoy Oatly’s Barista Edition and Chocolate oatmilks in food and beverage outlets across the properties, including destination restaurants and rooftops, Poindexter coffee shops, and grab-n-go stations on premises. Oatly’s oatmilks are delicious, allergen-friendly milk alternatives that have the same creamy taste, frothy feel, and functionality as traditional dairy, and in general, are better for the climate compared to cow’s milk.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Oatly and further offer our guests with best-in-class experiences while visiting Graduate Hotels properties across the country,” said Michele Evans, Executive Vice President of Hospitality, Graduate Hotels. “Our food and beverage concepts are the heart and soul of our properties, serving as gathering spaces for the community, and a moment of connectivity for both students and travelers. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and strengthen the guest experience and we couldn’t think of better partners than Oatly.”
Graduate Hotels joins Oatly’s growing foodservice portfolio and marks the brand’s continued progress towards converting consumers from dairy to plant-based, making it easy to make the switch, and showing up where people are. Oatly pioneered the oatmilk category and the wave of consumer adoption that has taken place across the U.S. since first launching in the country in 2017. It continues to be the #1 fastest turning brand in the total dairy and plant-based categories in the U.S.1
“We’re thrilled to bring Oatly to Graduate Hotels locations across the country and reach not only guests themselves, but the students that often gather at these special and truly unique properties,” said Mike Messersmith, President, Oatly North America. “This is an exciting step in continuing to make Oatly a part of consumers’ everyday lives, bringing them plant-based options that are both better for the planet and incredibly delicious. We’re especially happy to broaden our footprint with a great partner like Graduate Hotels in some of the coolest college towns around.”
About Oatly
We are the world’s original and largest oat drink company. For over 25 years, we have exclusively focused on developing expertise around oats: a global power crop with inherent properties suited for sustainability and human health. Our commitment to oats has resulted in core technical advancements that enabled us to unlock the breadth of the dairy portfolio, including alternatives to milks, ice cream, yogurt, cooking creams, spreads and on-the-go drinks. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, the Oatly brand is available in more than 20 countries globally.
About Graduate Hotels®
Graduate Hotels is a hand-crafted collection of hotels that reside in dynamic university-anchored towns in the U.S. and U.K. Each hotel pays homage to the heritage of its unique town through cultural nods to the local community. Launched in 2014, there are currently 31 hotels across the U.S., two U.K. properties, and an additional three hotels set to open by the end of 2024. Graduate Hotels is owned by Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, a Nashville-based vertically integrated real estate developer, owner and operator, founded by Ben Weprin in 2008. For more information on Graduate Hotels, please visit www.graduatehotels.com.
Forward looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, regarding Oatly’s collaboration with Graduate Hotels, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: general economic conditions including high inflationary cost pressures; our history of losses and inability to achieve or sustain profitability; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the spread of variants of the virus, on our business and the international economy; any failure to obtain necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms; a cybersecurity incident or other technology disruptions; changing consumer preferences and our ability to adapt to new or changing preferences; and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in Oatly’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on April 6, 2022 and other filings with the SEC as such factors may be updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Oatly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.
1 Source: Nielsen IQ. By market share of the oatmilk category in terms of retail sales value for the U.S. over the last 13 weeks ending October 8, 2022.
