SEC Form DEF 14A filed by J & J Snack Foods Corp.

  1. To elect Mary M. Meder to serve as a director for a term ending at the 2031 Annual Meeting of Shareholders;

  2. To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 26, 2026;

  3. To have an advisory vote on the approval of compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and

  4. To consider and act upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting and any adjournments thereof.

The Board of Directors has fixed December 17, 2025 as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders of record at the close of business on that date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. On or about January 2, 2026, a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) was mailed to such shareholders.

We are pleased to provide shareholders with the opportunity to participate in the Annual Meeting online via the Internet in a virtual-only meeting format to facilitate shareholder attendance and provide a consistent experience to all shareholders regardless of location. We will provide a live webcast of the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/JJSF2026, where you will also be able to submit questions and vote online. You will not be able to attend the meeting at a physical location. Closed captioning will be provided for the virtual meeting.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING ONLINE. WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING YOU ARE URGED TO SIGN, DATE AND PROMPTLY RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY.

As permitted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules, we are making the proxy materials available to our stockholders primarily via the Internet. By doing so, we can reduce the printing and delivery costs and the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting. On or about January 2, 2026, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to our stockholders. The Notice contains instructions on how to access our proxy materials over the internet. If you would like to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials, please follow the instructions in the Notice.

We sent this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card to you because our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote at the virtual Annual Meeting. This proxy statement summarizes information concerning the matters to be presented at the meeting and related information that will help you make an informed vote at the meeting.

We encourage you to access the Annual Meeting before it begins. Online check-in will start approximately 15 minutes before the Annual Meeting on February 12, 2026. If you have difficulty accessing the meeting, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the Annual Meeting login page. We will have technicians available to assist you.

At the Annual Meeting, you will be voting:

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote:

You may vote if you owned shares of our common stock as of the close of business on December 17, 2025, the record date for the Annual Meeting. On the record date, there were 18,996,493 shares of J & J common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”) outstanding. Holders of our Common Stock at the close of business on December 17, 2025 are generally entitled to one vote per share of Common Stock on each matter to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting.

The expenses of the proxy solicitation will be borne by the Company. In addition to solicitation by mail, proxies may be solicited in person or by telephone by directors, officers or employees of the Company and its subsidiaries without additional compensation. The Company may also engage the services of a proxy-soliciting firm. We are required to pay the reasonable expenses incurred by record holders of J & J Common Stock, who are brokers, dealers, banks or voting trustees, or their nominees, for mailing proxy material and annual shareholder reports to the beneficial owners of Common Stock they hold of record, upon request of such recordholders.

The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present either in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting and at any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Pursuant to the New Jersey Business Corporations Act (NJBCA), abstentions and broker non-votes (described below) will be counted for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

Proposal 2: Ratification of the Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Proposal 3: Advisory Vote Approving Executive Compensation

Approval of any other proposal will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting, unless otherwise required by our constituent documents or applicable law.

Under the NJBCA, abstentions, or a withholding of authority, are not counted as votes cast but are counted as shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and, therefore, will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” Proposal 2 and Proposal 3 at the Annual Meeting.

Brokers who hold shares for the accounts of their clients may vote such shares either as directed by their clients or in their own discretion if permitted by the applicable stock exchange or other organization of which they are members. Members of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) are permitted to vote their clients’ shares in their own discretion as to certain “routine” matters if the clients have not timely furnished voting instructions prior to the Annual Meeting. The election of directors and the advisory vote regarding executive compensation are not considered routine matters and, consequently, without your voting instructions, your brokerage firm cannot vote your shares on these proposals in its discretion. When a broker votes a client’s shares on some, but not all, of the proposals at a meeting, the omitted votes are referred to as “broker non-votes.” Pursuant to the NJBCA, broker non-votes will be counted for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present. Broker non-votes will have no effect on Proposal 1, election or directors. Proposal 2, the ratification of Grant Thornton as our independent registered public accounting firm, is a “routine” matter, and your broker or nominee will have the discretion to vote your shares on this proposal absent voting instructions from you. Therefore, we do not expect broker non-votes on Proposal 2.

Broker non-votes will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” Proposal 3 at the Annual Meeting.

Registered shareholders can vote via the Internet during the Annual Meeting webcast or by proxy. There are three ways to vote by proxy:

Telephone and Internet voting facilities for shareholders of record will be available 24 hours a day and will close at 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on February 11, 2026.

If you hold your shares in street name (that is, if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other holder of record), you will receive a voting instruction form from your broker, bank or other holder of record. This form will explain which voting options are available to you. If you want to vote in person at the annual meeting, you must obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other holder of record authorizing you to vote. You must have this information available to access the meeting.

J & J encourages you to vote your shares for matters to be covered at the Annual Meeting.

If you submit a signed proxy card but do not indicate how you want your shares voted, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote your shares of Common Stock:

Yes. You can change your vote at any time before your proxy is voted at the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may revoke your proxy by:

If you hold your shares in street name, you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee regarding how to change your vote.

Yes. We encourage shareholders to ask questions or to voice their views. We also wish to assure order and efficiency for all virtually attending shareholders. Accordingly, the Chairman of the Annual Meeting will have sole authority to make any determinations on the conduct of the Annual Meeting, including time allotted for each shareholder inquiry or similar rules to maintain order. Such determination by the Chairman of the Annual Meeting will be final, conclusive and binding. Anyone who is disruptive or refuses to comply with such rules of order will be excused from the Annual Meeting.

Votes cast by proxy or in person will be counted by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. who was appointed by us to act as election inspectors for the meeting.

We will announce the preliminary voting results at the meeting and provide the final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC within four business days following the meeting.

We are permitted by the SEC to send a single copy of our Notice of Internet Availability and, if you requested printed versions by mail, a single set of our proxy statement and annual report to shareholders who share the same last name and address. This procedure is called “householding” and is intended to reduce our printing and postage costs. We will promptly deliver a separate copy of our Notice of Internet Availability and, if you requested printed versions by mail, our annual report and proxy statement to you if you contact us at Attn: Michael A. Pollner, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054; telephone us at (856) 665-9533; or email us at [email protected]. In addition, if you want to receive separate copies of the proxy statement or annual report in the future; if you and another shareholder sharing an address are receiving more than one copy of the proxy materials and would like to request delivery of a single copy of the proxy statement or annual report at such address in the future; or if you would like to make a permanent election to receive either printed or electronic copies of the proxy materials and annual report in the future, you may contact us at the same address, telephone number or email address. If you hold your shares through a broker or other intermediary and would like additional copies of our proxy statement or annual report or would like to request householding, please contact your broker or other intermediary.

We acknowledge that our activities have an impact on the environment both locally and globally. We recognize that the long-term success of our business is predicated on creating a cleaner and healthier environment, safeguarding and responsibly using natural resources, and reducing the impact of our operations while eliminating waste. We believe that a thoughtful approach to environmental, social and governance matters is critical to our ongoing success and is the right thing to do.

The Company prioritizes the issues that fundamentally impact the company’s business and its stakeholders – focusing efforts and resources where they will have the greatest impact not just on our bottom line but on the communities we serve. During fiscal year 2025, we continued to work on initiatives designed to simultaneously drive growth, foster social prosperity, and encourage environmental stewardship. We are committed to increasing the use of recyclable materials in our packaging. We are taking steps to minimize the environmental impact of our activities from supply chain to production, implementing a procurement strategy to eliminate purchases from regions at risk for deforestations and focusing on enforcing our Supplier Requirements Manual. We have encouraged the use of sustainable palm oil in our products since 2017, and we are RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.

Consistent with our long history of supporting animal rights, in 2025, we adopted a Cage-Free Egg Policy. By the end of 2025, we expect that about 70% of the eggs purchased for use in our products will come from cage-free hens. Our plan is to increase that percentage to 85% by the end of 2027, and 100% by the end of 2028.

In 2025, we continued to improve the efficiency of our operations, by adding new capacity and new lines designed to allow for regional production thereby reducing transportation costs. Our new network of regional distribution centers has resulted in fewer miles driven and less fuel consumed. We completed a multi-year Food Production Investment Program (FPIP) at our Vernon, California manufacturing facility. The project included direct Green House Gas (“GHG”) emission reductions and energy savings by replacing existing equipment with new, energy efficient equipment with heat recovery capabilities and installing a heat recovery system to preheat water used for dough processing and sanitation purposes. In addition, energy efficiency upgrades were made to the refrigeration system to reduce electricity consumption.

At J & J Snack Foods, we believe caring for our people, our customers, and our communities is both a responsibility and a privilege. For many years, we have shown this through our actions, and in 2025 we continued to honor that commitment. Our teams supported local outreach efforts such as the 9/11 National Meal Pack Day supporting food banks in the Greater Philadelphia area, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Special Olympics, A Soldier’s Child Foundation, clean-up events for Earth Day, and multiple give back programs including back-to-school and holiday support drives.

Our Board of Directors currently consists of eight (8) members: Peter G. Stanley, whose term expires at our 2026 Annual Meeting; Marjorie S. Roshkoff and Daniel J. Fachner, whose terms expire at our 2027 Annual Meeting; Sidney R. Brown and Roy C. Jackson, whose terms expire at our 2028 Annual Meeting; Mary M. Meder and Vincent A. Melchiorre, whose terms expire at our 2029 Annual Meeting; and Kathleen E. Ciaramello, whose term expires at the 2030 Annual Meeting.

In November 2025, our Board of Directors voted to (i) reduce the size of the Board of Directors from eight (8) to seven (7) effective after the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and (ii) nominate Mary M. Meder for election to the Board of Directors for a term ending at the 2031 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Ms. Meder will move from her current class and replace Mr. Stanley, who will conclude his service on the Board at the end of his term at the Annual Meeting.

If Ms. Meder becomes unable or unwilling to serve, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote in accordance with their best judgment for the election of such substitute nominee as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of J & J expects the nominee to be willing and able to serve.

The election of directors will be determined by a plurality of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and the nominee receiving the most “FOR” votes will be elected. If any nominee for director in an uncontested election receives a greater number of votes “WITHHELD” than votes “FOR” such election, our Director Resignation Policy requires that such nominee must promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board following certification of the vote, which the Board shall accept or reject within 90 days of the shareholder vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on Proposal 1.

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF MS. MEDER.

Set forth below are the names of our directors, including the person nominated to be elected as a director, as well as their ages as of December 15, 2025, their offices within the company, if any, their principal occupations or employment for the past five years, the length of their tenure as directors, the names of other public companies in which such persons hold directorships or held directorships within the past five years, and the particular experience, qualifications attributes or skills that led the Board to determine that the individual should serve as director.

J & J is incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey. In accordance with New Jersey law and J & J’s Bylaws, the Board of Directors has responsibility for overseeing the conduct of J & J’s business. J & J has established a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which is applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company. In addition, the Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for Chief Executive and Senior Financial Officers. Copies of these codes are available on the Company’s website at www.jjsnack.com.

The rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market require that a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors and the members of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meet its independence criteria. No director qualifies as independent unless the Board determines that the director has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgement in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances of which it is aware in making an independence determination.

Based on the Nasdaq Stock Market’s guidelines, the Board of Directors has determined that each of the following directors is independent: Sidney R. Brown, Roy C. Jackson, Mary M. Meder, Vincent A. Melchiorre, Kathleen Ciaramello and Peter G. Stanley. Messrs. Jackson, Melchiorre and Stanley and Ms. Meder and Ms. Ciaramello do not have a business, financial, family or other type of relationship with J & J. With respect to Mr. Brown, his company, NFI Industries and affiliated companies, provide the following services to the Company: (i) transportation and supply chain solutions services; (ii) operate the Company’s regional distribution centers; and (iii) lease to the Company the building where the Texas regional distribution center is located. The Board of Directors determined that Mr. Brown is independent irrespective of the services provided due to the amounts involved and the relative levels of revenue of J & J and NFI Industries (and affiliated companies).

The Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) includes certain provisions relating to shareholder and director voting. Under the Charter, no shareholder may vote more than ten percent (10%) of the Company’s voting securities (the “Voting Threshold”), including the Company’s common stock, without approval from our Board of Directors, excluding those shareholders who held shares of common stock in excess of the Voting Threshold as of the date of the Charter’s adoption in 1990. The Charter grants the Company the right to repurchase shares held in excess of the Voting Threshold upon a duly adopted resolution of the Board of Directors.

In the event of a “hostile change of Board control,” which would occur only when one-half or more of the total number of directors serving on the Board of Directors have not been nominated by the Board of Directors or by a duly-authorized committee of the Board of Directors, our Charter grants “Experienced Directors,” defined as those Directors with more than five years of experience of serving as Directors of the Company, certain expanded voting rights that could delay, deter or prevent an acquisition of the Company.

During the fiscal year, the Board of Directors held six (6) regularly scheduled meetings. Each director attended at least 75% of the total meetings of the Board of Directors and the Committees on which he or she served,

It has been longstanding practice of the Company for all directors to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All directors then serving virtually attended the Annual Meeting held in February 2025.

The Independent Directors meet in executive sessions without management present before or after regularly scheduled Board meetings.

The Board has established stock ownership guidelines for the non-employee directors. Within three years of election as a director, the director must attain and hold 1,500 shares of J & J Common Stock. All current non-employee directors meet this guideline, except for Ms. Ciaramello who was elected in February 2025.

The Board of Directors has reviewed and discussed the leadership structure at the Company, and in November 2023, determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company for Mr. Fachner to serve as Chairman of the Board, in addition to serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Given the current size and composition of the Board and Mr. Fachner’s strong knowledge and leadership of the Company, the Board determined that Mr. Fachner is best suited to lead the board in its discussion of key business and strategic matters, and to focus the Board on the most critical issues facing the Company. Mr. Fachner’s Company-specific expertise and industry knowledge will facilitate the Board’s focus on the Company’s strategic objectives, as well as the Board’s oversight of the Company and its management.

In order to fulfill its responsibilities, the Board has delegated certain authority to its Committees. There are three standing committees: (i) Audit Committee, (ii) Compensation Committee and (iii) Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each Committee has its own Charter which is reviewed annually by each Committee to assure ongoing compliance with applicable law and sound governance practices. Committee charters may be found on our website at www.jjsnack.com under the “Investors” tab and then under “Corporate Governance.” Paper copies are available at no cost by written request to Michael A. Pollner, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

The Audit Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Stanley (Chair), Mr. Jackson, Mr. Melchiorre, and Ms. Meder, each of whom qualifies as an independent director and meets the other requirements to serve on the Audit Committee under rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Mr. Stanley’s term will end at the Annual Meeting and Vincent A. Melchiorre will become the Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Melchiorre serves as our Audit Committee Financial Expert, as such term is defined in Section 407 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. The principal functions of the Audit Committee include, but are not limited to:

The Audit Committee held seven (5) meetings during the 2025 fiscal year.

The Compensation Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Brown (Chair), Mr. Jackson and Ms. Ciaramello , each of whom qualifies as an independent director under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The Committee has responsibility for the following:

The Compensation Committee held two (2) meetings during the 2025 fiscal year.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Jackson (Chair), Mr. Brown, Ms. Meder, and Mr. Melchiorre, each of whom qualifies as an independent director under rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. This Committee’s primary responsibilities are to:

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees for directors recommended by shareholders. Any shareholder may recommend a prospective nominee for such Committee’s consideration by submitting in writing to Michael A. Pollner, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, the prospective nominee’s name and qualifications. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not intend to alter the manner in which it evaluates candidates based on whether or not the candidate was recommended by a shareholder.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held two (2) meetings during the 2025 fiscal year.

Any shareholder who wishes to submit a proposal to be voted on or to nominate a person for election to the Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders in 2027 must notify the Company’s Secretary (Michael A. Pollner, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054), no earlier than September 4, 2026 and no later than October 4, 2026 (unless the date of the 2027 annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after February 12, 2027, in which case the notice of proposal must be received not earlier than the 90th day prior to such date of mailing of proxy materials and not later than the close of business on the later of the 60th day prior to such date of mailing of proxy materials or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made). The notice of a proposal or nomination must also include certain information about the proposal or nominee and about the shareholder submitting the proposal or nomination, as required by the Company’s bylaws, and must also meet the requirements of applicable securities laws. In addition, shareholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees must comply with the additional requirements of Rule 14a-19 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).

To be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement for the 2027 annual meeting of shareholders pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals must be received not later than September 4, 2026, and otherwise comply with the proxy rules. Proposals or nominations not meeting these requirements will not be presented at the annual meeting.

For more information regarding shareholder proposals or nominations, you may request a copy of the Bylaws from Michael A. Pollner, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

Shareholders, employees and others may contact any of the Company’s Directors by writing to them c/o J & J Snack Foods Corp., 350 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, Attention: Corporate Secretary.

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires that the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of the Company’s Common Stock, file with the Securities and Exchange Commission reports of ownership and changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations received by it from such directors and executive officers, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to the Company’s officers, directors and greater than ten percent (10%) beneficial owners were complied with during fiscal year 2025.

The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of the Company’s risk management process. The Board delegates to the Compensation Committee responsibility for oversight of management’s compensation risk assessment. The Board delegates other risk management oversight matters, including cyber security risks, to the Audit Committee. Our Audit Committee periodically discusses and evaluates risk with members of management, our independent auditors and our internal audit group. Both the Compensation Committee and Audit Committee report to the full Board where appropriate.

Our Compensation Committee conducted a risk assessment of our compensation programs and practices. This process included a review of our incentive compensation plans. Based on this process, our Compensation Committee concluded that our compensation programs and practices are appropriately structured and do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The Company has adopted a clawback policy, established in accordance with the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market, which provides for the mandatory recovery or “clawback” of certain erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation in the event that the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with the financial reporting requirements under the federal securities laws.

The Company has adopted insider trading policies and procedures governing the purchase, sale, or other disposition of its securities by its directors, officers and employees. We believe these policies and procedures are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations and exchange listing standards applicable to the Company. The policy prohibits our directors, officers, employees, and certain other covered persons from illegally trading in Company securities and related derivative securities while aware of material non-public information about the Company or its securities. Additionally, certain individuals are prohibited from trading securities during various times throughout the year, and certain individuals must receive preclearance from our Legal Department prior to trading. More information regarding our insider trading policies and procedures can be found in Exhibit 19.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2024. In addition, with regard to the Company’s trading in its own securities, it is the Company’s policy to comply with the U.S. Securities laws and the applicable exchange listing requirements.

The Board of Directors also adopted an Anti-Hedging Policy in 2020. Under this policy, Executive Officers and Directors of the Company and its subsidiaries shall not, unless previously approved by the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board, directly or indirectly:

None of our executive officers serves as a member of the compensation committee of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of the Board of Directors. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of our Compensation Committee.

Our Board of Directors has adopted the J & J Snack Foods Corp. Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan. Under this Plan, each Non-Employee Director then serving shall receive an annual fee of $160,000 payable within ten days of the Company’s annual meeting. In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $15,000. In the event a Non-Employee Director serves for less than an entire year, the yearly portion of the annual fee payable for such year shall be prorated based on the number of days in the year for which the Director served. Under the Plan, our Non-Employee Directors may elect to receive all or a portion of their annual fee in the form of shares of the Company’s common stock. The number of shares issuable pursuant to an election is equal to the value of the fee forgone divided by the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the payment date. For 2025, all of our directors elected to receive their annual fee in the form of a cash payment, except Mr. Jackson and Ms. Meder.

The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to oversee the Company’s accounting and financial reporting process and the audits of the Company’s financial statements.

The Company’s management is responsible for the integrity of the Company’s financial statements, as well as its accounting and financial reporting process and internal controls for compliance with applicable accounting standards, laws and regulations. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP (“Grant Thornton”), is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Company’s financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and expressing an opinion in its report on those financial statements.

The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing these processes, as well as the independence and performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee does not conduct auditing or accounting reviews or procedures.

The Audit Committee has relied on management’s representation that the financial statements have been prepared with integrity and in conformity with generally accepted accounting procedures in the U.S. and on the registered public accounting firm representations included in its report on the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm also audited and discussed with the Audit Committee the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management the Company’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2025. The Audit Committee discussed with the Company’s registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton, matters required to be discussed by the applicable standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

The Audit Committee has received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from Grant Thornton required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accounting firm’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence. In addition, the Audit Committee discussed with Grant Thornton its independence from the Company and considered whether the providing of non-audit services to the Company by Grant Thornton is compatible with maintaining Grant Thornton’s independence.

Based on these reviews and discussions and in reliance thereon, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements for the Company be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2025.

The Audit Committee has adopted policies and procedures requiring that the Company obtain the Audit Committee’s pre-approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services to be provided by Grant Thornton as the Company’s independent accountants. Pre-approval is generally granted on a fiscal year basis, is detailed as to the particular service or category of services to be provided and is granted after consideration of the estimated fees for each service or category of service. Actual fees and any changes to estimated fees for preapproved services are reported to the Committee on a quarterly basis.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has considered whether the provision of tax services described above is compatible with maintaining the independence of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee has approved Grant Thornton’s performing these services.

Set forth below are the names of our executive officers who are not also directors, their ages as of December 15, 2025, their offices within the company, their principal occupations or employment for the past five years and the names of other public companies in which such persons hold directorships.

Stephen J. Every was named Executive Vice President – Operations in January 2025, after serving as Chief Operating Officer of The ICEE Company since August 2021. Mr. Every joined The ICEE Company as Director, Special Projects in 2009. In 2012, Mr. Every was promoted to Vice President of Sales - ICEE with responsibility for the management and development of relationships with many of ICEE’s largest brand and service customers in the USA.

Matthew T. Inderlied was appointed Chief Customer Officer in January 2025. Prior to the Chief Customer Officer role, he served as Senior Vice President & General Manager for Dippin’ Dots and Senior Vice President Sales for The ICEE Company. Prior to joining the Company in 2021, Mr. Inderlied held executive and senior level positions with FBD Partnership, LP and Michelin. Mr. Inderlied’s experience has encompassed areas of increasing responsibility in sales, general management, marketing, and operations.

Mary Lou Kehoe joined the Company in January 2020 as the Director of Human Resources. Ms. Kehoe was promoted to Vice President Human Resources in March 2021 and has responsibility for the Human Resources function across all business lines. Prior to working at J & J Snack Foods Corp., Ms. Kehoe served in various Human Resource functions managing the HR Operations side of the business while working at various consumer packaged goods companies, including Campbell Soup, Pinnacle Foods and Conagra Brands.

Lynwood M. Mallard joined the Company as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in March 2021. Prior to joining J & J, Mr. Mallard worked at the Coca-Cola Company since 1998 where he held various ascending roles in areas of brand marketing, strategy, commercialization, and innovation.

Shawn C. Munsell joined us as our Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer on December 2, 2024. Prior to joining us, Mr. Munsell was the Chief Financial Officer of Calavo Growers, Inc. (Nasdaq: CVGW), a position he held since June 2022. Prior to joining Calavo, Mr. Munsell led the finance and accounting function for Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) chicken segment, from 2018 to 2022, as Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Munsell served as Tyson’s Treasurer. Prior to Tyson, Mr. Munsell was with CF Industries, serving in a variety of roles with progressive responsibility for the nitrogen products manufacturer.

Michael A. Pollner was appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel in April 2022. Prior to joining J & J, Mr. Pollner spent 16 years at Knoll, Inc., most recently as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to Knoll, Inc., Mr. Pollner was a business lawyer with two prominent U.S. based law firms.

J & J Snack Foods Corp. manufactures and sells snack foods and frozen beverages which it markets nationally to the food service and retail supermarket industries. Our compensation programs are designed to support our business goals and promote both short-term and long-term growth. This section of the proxy statement explains how our compensation programs are designed and operate in practice with respect to our Named Executive Officers (each an “NEO” and, collectively, our “NEOs”). For fiscal year 2025, our NEOs are Daniel J. Fachner, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ken A. Plunk, former Chief Financial Officer, Shawn M. Munsell, Chief Financial Officer, Stephen J. Every, Executive Vice President - Operations, Lynwood M. Mallard, Chief Marketing Officer, and Michael A. Pollner, SVP, General Counsel & Secretary. The “Executive Compensation” section presents compensation earned by the Named Executive Officers and references in this CD&A to our “executive officers” or “officers” refer to the NEOs unless the context indicates otherwise.

In 2025, we delivered sales of $1.583 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $180.9 million¹. This reflects a slight increase in sales and a 10% decrease in adjusted EBITDA over 2024 performance. We faced a challenging environment in 2025, where we saw consumers experience economic uncertainty and inflationary pressures. This environment impacted our performance in key channels, including amusement, convenience, theaters, restaurants and retail.

Despite these challenges and their impact on our financial performance in 2025, we delivered record quarterly revenue and profitability results in the third quarter, and we believe we accomplished some important milestones that will put us in position for improved growth and profitability in 2026 and subsequent years. Some of these milestones include:

We also launched our operating efficiency initiative, Project Apollo, pursuant to which we closed and consolidated three of our manufacturing facilities in the fourth quarter of 2025 and first quarter of 2026. We expect these closures (and other initiatives under Project Apollo) to result in significant operating savings in 2026 and beyond.

Our performance in fiscal year 2025 also enabled us to (i) return $60.8 million of cash to our shareholders in the form of dividends and (ii) repurchase $8.0 million of common stock in fiscal year 2025. Our balance sheet remains strong, with no debt outstanding, approximately $106 million of cash, and approximately $210 million in available borrowing capacity under our credit facility as of the end of the fiscal year.

Based on the Company’s financial performance in 2025, delivering $180.9 million in adjusted EBITDA, relative to a target of $221 million, and taking into account the economic environment during the year and all the important initiatives the Company accomplished in 2025, the Compensation Committee approved 2025 short-term incentive payments for our NEOs at eighty-one percent (81%) of target.

Approximately 91% of our shareholders voted in favor of our advisory say on pay proposal at our 2025 Annual Meeting. Our Compensation Committee has reviewed the results of this vote and, based in part on the substantial support we received, we did not make significant changes to our compensation programs for the 2025 fiscal year. We remain willing to discuss any compensation concerns with our shareholders if and when they arise.

Our executive compensation programs reflect our results-oriented corporate culture that rewards achievement of aggressive goals. Our compensation programs for executive officers are designed to attract, retain, motivate and reward talented executives who will advance our strategic, operational and financial objectives and thereby enhance shareholder value.

Our executive compensation program incorporates the following best practices:

The Compensation Committee’s process for determining compensation levels for executive officers differs depending upon the compensation element and the position of the individual being considered. For each executive officer, the Compensation Committee annually reviews each element of compensation described below. A number of factors are considered in determining individual compensation levels, including performance of the individual and the business unit or function under his or her leadership, the Company’s performance, and economic and business conditions affecting J & J at the time of the performance. Management and external sources provide relevant information and analyses as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate. While substantially guided by the applicable performance metrics of our programs, the Compensation Committee retains authority to exercise its judgment when approving individual awards and payouts.

Our executive compensation programs are comprised of: (i) base salary; (ii) annual non-equity incentive bonuses, which are discretionary, but based primarily on the achievement of company objectives and performance; and (iii) long-term incentive compensation in the form of periodic equity awards. Consistent with our overall compensation philosophy, a substantial component of overall compensation for each Executive Officer is performance-based.

The following sets forth the primary objectives addressed by each component of our executive compensation programs:

Base Salary: The Compensation Committee reviews base salary levels for NEOs on an annual basis and any changes are typically effective on January 1^st of the next calendar year. We attempt to set base salary at levels that are competitive in the industry and in relation to the particular job function of the NEO. Base salaries are intended to provide a base level of compensation for services rendered during the year and are intended to reward the NEO for the day-to-day complexities of his or her job. Effective as of the end of the 2025 Fiscal Year (September 27, 2025), the base salaries for our NEOs (other than Mr. Plunk, who retired in December 2024) are as follows:

Annual Non-Equity Incentive Bonus: Annual non-equity incentive bonuses are based primarily on adjusted earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes (EBITDA) but also may include supplemental goals considered by the Compensation Committee in its discretion. Our Compensation Committee may also consider the operating performance of individual business segments, subsidiaries or business functions. There is generally no quantitative formula in calculating incentive payments. Instead, the Compensation Committee considers a variety of factors, including: (i) the Company’s overall performance for the year, (ii) the individual NEO’s performance; (iii) the business environment existing during the year and (iv) any extraordinary obstacles or accomplishments that may have arisen during the course of the year. Our annual non-equity incentive bonus targets range from 50%-100% of base salary.

The Compensation Committee ultimately determines the amount of each NEO’s actual non-equity incentive payment based principally on our achievement of the Company’s goals. However, the Compensation Committee also has significant flexibility to increase or decrease the amounts paid irrespective of Company performance relative to its targets.

Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards: Long-term equity incentive grants are provided at levels intended to align the interests of our NEOs with those of our shareholders and to reward NEOs for performance resulting in positive increases in our stock price. Beginning with fiscal year 2022, our long-term incentive grants are generally structured as a

combination of time-vested restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units. Our time-vested restricted stock units vest over a three-year service period in annual one-third installments. Our performance-based restricted stock units vest on the basis of our performance relative to a two-year performance condition, followed by an additional one-year service-based vesting requirement. Performance-based stock units may be earned between 50% of target level for threshold performance and up to 200% of the target level for outstanding performance. By utilizing equity grants that incorporate both types of vesting criteria, we believe our long-term equity incentive awards serve a retention, motivation and reward function over a longer performance horizon than our annual incentive payments.

We do not apply a rigid formula in determining the specific equity award levels for our NEOs. Instead, the Compensation Committee exercises its discretion and professional judgment as to what is appropriate for each individual NEO based on their role and experience.

Our NEOs participate in the full range of Company benefit and retirement plans provided to all salaried employees. These include health and welfare benefits, our 401(K) plan and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. In December 2024, the Compensation Committee approved a non-qualified deferred compensation plan, effective January 1, 2025 (DCP). The DCP is intended to provide some tax planning options into our compensation programs. The DCP is available to our NEOs and director level employees and above whose compensation exceeds a certain threshold.

J & J provides a limited number of perquisites to its NEOs. The most significant of these perquisites to the NEOs is the use of Company-owned automobiles and gas cards. Mr. Fachner also receives an allowance to defray the cost of his Country Club membership.

The Compensation Committee has adopted a mandatory clawback policy for current and former executive officers aligned with the rules of the SEC and the Nasdaq Stock Market (the “Clawback Policy”). Under the Clawback Policy, in the event of an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, the Company will recover erroneously awarded incentive compensation received by current and former executive officers during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the restatement date, unless one of the exceptions specified in the Clawback Policy is applicable to the particular circumstances.

After the conclusion of the 2025 fiscal year, we granted an aggregate of 21,471 time-vesting units and 21,466 performance-vesting units on November 19, 2025, to our named executive officers in the following amounts: Mr. Fachner (13,626 time-vesting units and 13,625 performance-vesting units), Mr. Munsell (2,646 time-vesting units and 2,645 performance-vesting units), Mr. Pollner (1,837 time-vesting units and 1,836 performance-vesting units), Mr. Every (1,683 time-vesting units and 1,682 performance-vesting units) and Mr. Mallard (1,679 time-vesting units and 1,678 performance-vesting units). The time-vesting units vest in equal one third annual installments on the anniversary of the grant date over a three-year service period. The performance-vesting units vest upon our achievement of a cumulative two-year adjusted EBITDA target, provided that the executive officer remains employed for an additional year thereafter. As explained above, our Compensation Committee determined the specific level of each of these awards by applying its discretion as to what is appropriate in light of all of the circumstances, including our strategic objectives and the responsibilities of our executive officers and their outstanding equity awards.

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

The following table shows all plan-based awards granted to the NEOs during fiscal year 2025: