About Us
Satisfy your cravings in a healthier way.
Say yes to the sweet moments of life!
You’re tired of having to choose between your health goals or the happiness that comes from enjoying your daily rituals.
You know that you want to cut sugar from your diet, but you also don’t want to give up all of the sweetness in your life.
Morning coffee just black? No thanks. Summer without milkshakes? Nope. Christmas without cocoa? Not the same.
Chances are, you’ve tried all sorts of things so you can enjoy the sweeter things in life without sabotaging your health, but nothing quite cuts it... Until now! .
At 5 Sparrows, we’re on a mission to bring you health and happiness in the same cup.
Meet Melanie – Founder and Owner at 5 Sparrows Brand
Where It All Began
It all began with an obsession for making delicious coffee drinks.
If you’re anything like me, you have a serious sweet tooth.
As a coffee shop owner and barista, I heard concerns from customers about the added sugar that came in their drinks. They loved their sweet morning ritual, but wanted to enjoy it without the added sugar. What they found, though, was that the substitutes available were less than desirable.
That’s when I began the search for healthy alternatives to the sugary beverages we served up every day. I wanted to create a coffee creamer that tasted great and supported our customers’ healthy lifestyle. After countless experiments, I developed a line of better-for-you drink mixes like dark cocoa, spiced chai, white chocolate and salted caramel coffee creamers, and a frappe/smoothie base that customers adored.
15 years later, I can still relate to the desire for something indulgent yet satisfying that supports your health goals. At 5 Sparrows, we believe in empowering you to satisfy your cravings in a healthier way.
Here’s to saying YES to the sweet moments of life!
Cheers,
Melanie | Founder
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to help people find healing, stop just surviving, and finally start thriving.
But it goes deeper than that.
We believe that true wellbeing includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and we aim to do our part in helping others achieve that through the products we make and the profits we donate.
Products: we craft our products to support people in pursuing a healthier lifestyle without losing the sweetness of their daily rituals. Profits: a portion of our profits support domestic abuse support groups, like Refuge Ministries and women’s shelters in various regions of the country to help women in crisis. We want to see a world where health and safety is accessible to everyone. We can’t think of anything sweeter than being a part of that.
The 5 Sparrows Team
Melanie Francis
Founder and CEO
Melanie Francis: Founder and CEO. Melanie is the developer of all 5 Sparrows' products and started the company in 2010. She has been an entrepreneur since the age of 22 and loves the freedom to create, collaborate and structure work around family time. "One of the most important components of our culture is that our work is built around family," she says. Not many people know that our soft-spoken, pint-sized leader is a mixed martial arts student, studying striking and jujitsu. "Everything I have learned on the mats helps me in business. Composure, discipline, grit and passion are all requirements for success. Failure is such an important part of the journey. You have to take what you learn, reframe your process and go right back for more. One can never become too skilled and there is always room for growth." Melanie also loves gardening, baking, family bike rides and is a women's abuse advocate.
Trey Lawson
Production Lead
Working for 5 Sparrows has been awesome! It feels good to support and be a part of a locally owned business with great people and a great, healthy product!
Kelly Kubiak
Sales
When I was first introduced to 5 Sparrows' sugar-free white chocolate, I also discovered their dedication to advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, which made me an immediate fan. Nearly a decade later, my love for their products and admiration for the company have only grown. Melanie has created a team that inspires a culture of authenticity, community, and service that I am honored to be a part of.
Sarah Gould
Advisory & Accounting
I fell in love with the Spiced Chai mix years before I was introduced to the team and I'm honored to be able to support the company and help it grow. I'm constantly inspired by Melanie and the team she has created around her with their positive energy and the desire to create healthier lives.
Branding, design, web
We've been working with the 5 Sparrows team since 2017, and it has been a pleasure to be the visual design and branding counterpart to 5 Sparrows. Both the products and Melanie are a naturally sweet part of any given day! Our favorite product of late has been the salted caramel drink mix blended with iced coffee.
Amanda Holladay
Social media & content specialist
It's so fun to be part of a team that helps people start each day with a smile . . . and end each day on a path to a healthier lifestyle. Who knew that being sugar-free could be so sweet!
Todd Twete
Sales acceleration specialist
The Five Sparrows Brand is a remarkable small business success story that I’m proud to be a part of, even in a small way. Melanie, the visionary behind the brand, exemplifies the true spirit of entrepreneurship. She saw a need in the marketplace and seized the opportunity to create a healthier alternative for her customers. Through her passion and dedication, she has not only filled that need but has also fostered a community around wellness and mindful living.
Melanie Francis
Founder and CEO
Melanie Francis: Founder and CEO. Melanie is the developer of all 5 Sparrows' products and started the company in 2010. She has been an entrepreneur since the age of 22 and loves the freedom to create, collaborate and structure work around family time. "One of the most important components of our culture is that our work is built around family," she says. Not many people know that our soft-spoken, pint-sized leader is a mixed martial arts student, studying striking and jujitsu. "Everything I have learned on the mats helps me in business. Composure, discipline, grit and passion are all requirements for success. Failure is such an important part of the journey. You have to take what you learn, reframe your process and go right back for more. One can never become too skilled and there is always room for growth." Melanie also loves gardening, baking, family bike rides and is a women's abuse advocate.
Trey Lawson
Production Lead
Working for 5 Sparrows has been awesome! It feels good to support and be a part of a locally owned business with great people and a great, healthy product!
Kelly Kubiak
Sales
When I was first introduced to 5 Sparrows' sugar-free white chocolate, I also discovered their dedication to advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, which made me an immediate fan. Nearly a decade later, my love for their products and admiration for the company have only grown. Melanie has created a team that inspires a culture of authenticity, community, and service that I am honored to be a part of.
Sarah Gould
Advisory & accounting
I fell in love with the Spiced Chai mix years before I was introduced to the team and I'm honored to be able to support the company and help it grow. I'm constantly inspired by Melanie and the team she has created around her with their positive energy and the desire to create healthier lives.
Amanda Holladay
Social Media & Content Specialist
It's so fun to be part of a team that helps people start each day with a smile . . . and end each day on a path to a healthier lifestyle. Who knew that being sugar-free could be so sweet!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Stevia?
Stevia: it’s been a buzzword for a few years, and you’ve probably heard about it a time or two by now. Here at 5 Sparrows, it’s our go-to ingredient in all our delicious sugar-free coffee creamer and hot drink mixes. But what the heck is Stevia, and what should you know about this tasty sweetener?
Does this work with my eating protocol (Keto, Paleo, WeightWatchers, Whole30, etc.)
You’ve probably heard about the keto diet - also known as the ketogenic diet. “Eating keto” means opting for low-carb, high-fat meals. Popular in the CrossFit community and among people who want to reap the diet’s health benefits, the keto diet promises to help you lose weight, protect your body from chronic diseases, and live a healthier, fuller life.
If you’re interested in the ketogenic diet, you’ve probably got lots of questions.
How do you know it’s right for you, and what can you expect to eat once you’re on it?
In this post, we’re taking a look at the keto diet, and how our line of stevia-sweetened coffee creamers fits into your journey.
I’ve heard there’s a weird aftertaste with Stevia? Is that true?
We pair stevia with a sugar alcohol called erythritol. Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that can be found in fruits and veggies. Most companies who make sugar-free products use a pre-made blend of erythritol and stevia. At 5 Sparrows, each of our products, including our hot chocolate, has a custom blend of each of these sweeteners, giving the final product that perfect sweetness with no bad aftertaste.
SWEET TALK
Let’s stay in touch.
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