Seventy percent of family businesses either fail or are sold by the second generation, according to Forbes.

Pomegranate Market, a natural and organic grocery store with two locations in Sioux Falls, represents the other 30%.

Craig Snyder founded the business 15 years ago, and today, he and wife Kristin are co-owners alongside son Jonah, daughter-in-law Alison, daughter Ellie, and son-in-law Gabe.

The full Snyder family.

Jonah, who took over as president of the second-generation family business in 2024, and Craig recently sat down for a conversation with Adam Cox on our podcast, Common Cents on the Prairie™.

The father-son duo opened up about the challenges they navigated while transitioning the family business, as well as their vision for the future of Pomegranate Market.

The second gen of Pomegranate Market

One challenge family businesses often face is finding a member of the next generation who actually wants to be a part of the business.

In the case of the Snyder family, Jonah originally wasn’t that person.

“My original intent was to kind of forge my own destiny,” he said. “I’ve said before that I think I felt, you know, my dad as being this larger-than-life businessperson, and many people who’ve worked with him have great respect for him.”

Hoping to build his own career outside of Craig’s businesses, he went to school and earned his bachelor’s and MBA.

But not long after, when a business deal fell through to sell Craig’s telecommunications company, VIKOR, Jonah came on as a project manager.

“The family business…it can get its tendrils into you,” he said, “and there was an opportunity and a need for me to step in.”

Now back in the loop of the family businesses, Jonah remained with VIKOR through early 2025 before shifting his focus to Pomegranate Market.

“I want to be able to grow something and have it have my DNA on it — a little bit more of my fingerprint,” Jonah said. “And VIKOR is a Craig company…whereas Pomegranate was over on the side as sort of the neglected stepchild of the Snyder family businesses.”

Successfully transitioning the family business

A successful family business transition between generations means overcoming challenges on both sides.

“Maybe three or four years ago, we joined the Prairie Family Business Association,” Craig said, “and they were the best-kept secret for me for 30 years because they existed for 30 years.”

To ease the process, the Snyders hired a consultant who helps family businesses transition from the first to second generation.

“That was very helpful,” Craig said. “They bring documents, knowledge, best practices, that kind of thing.”

As for the challenges the second generation faces, Jonah said, “You come in as a family member, and you have to work pretty hard to dispel this illusion of entitlement.”

Since much of the business is made up of non-family members, including most of the executives, he felt pressure to prove himself as Craig’s successor.

“I think that starts with mature, disciplined, humble second-generation family members,” Jonah said. “And I’m not saying we’ve always been perfect at that by any means, but I think I felt sort of a weight of responsibility to prove that I deserved my seat in whichever business I’m in.”

Could Pomegranate Market become the next Whole Foods?

“I approached Craig with a plan to expand the business,” Jonah said. “Add a second location with hopes of continuing to grow it from there. And he said, ‘Sounds good to me.’”

The Snyders opened their second Pomegranate Market store in downtown Sioux Falls in December 2025, and this one has Jonah’s fingerprints all over it.

Jonah Snyder, Craig Snyder, and Gabe Messler: co-owners of Pomegranate Market.

It also has him feeling hungry for future growth.

“I think that having the second location, and all of the excitement and stress of that, has kind of pushed me to think about that: where are we going with this?” he added.

They’re actively looking at other markets. Brookings and Mitchell are the current frontrunners.

With more time and research, Jonah, Craig, and the team will decide what the next step is.

“In my vision, yeah, I’d love Pomegranate Market to be the next Whole Foods and to have locations across the country,” Jonah said. “And I think you can still maintain that focus on the community and the local aspect of the food supply chain if you have the right team and the right local vendors and you set up those structures.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Jonah and Craig Snyder at the player below or on Apple Podcasts.

And if you’re a family business making your own plans for the future, send a note to our team at First National Wealth Management. We’d love to be part of those conversations!

Any comments, insights, or strategies discussed in this article are intended to be general in nature and, therefore, may not be suitable for you and your situation, whatever that may be. Before acting on anything written here, please consult with your attorney, CPA, and/or your financial advisor.