BLUE BOWL SUPERFOODS
Take a moment to step into the combat boots of Teague Savitch a decade ago. He’d been deployed to Afghanistan as a U.S. Army intelligence officer in 2014, a time of instability in the wake of a transition of presidential power.
“We started breaking down our footprint and consolidating our presence in Afghanistan as coalition forces,” Savitch says. “I was responsible for the intelligence operations for our units, and I was stressed, working long hours, and not eating well.”
After completing his service and returning to the U.S. in December 2014, and figuring out what to do next, Savitch was drawn to the idea of a product for people in stressful work environments that would be conducive to their lifestyle.
“I didn’t have much money other than my deployment savings, but I knew I had to create something that was healthy, tasted good, and could be easily consumed on the go,” he says.
Bowled over
Acai bowls—featuring the nutritious Brazilian super-fruit—were already popular, so Savitch needed a way to innovate to create a viable business in the space. First, this meant trying almost every acai place in town. “Anytime I’d modify my order from their set menu, it would go from an $8 bowl to $14,” he says. “There had to be a way that allows the customer to feel like they’re winning.”
The answer? A flat price with the Chipotle-style ability to create your own bowl: Pick one of the base flavors, then add as many different toppings as you want.
The other insight came in preparation. While most establishments are filled with the racket of blenders, Savitch felt that process slowed everything down and led to flavor and consistency variances.
“We pre-blend our bases so they can be scooped into a bowl,” he explains. “It’s faster, and benefits customers with a richer flavor and thicker mouth-feel.”
Time of transition
Savitch and his then-business partner, Kevin Klasky, a fellow soldier with whom he’d been deployed, launched their acai bowl concept as The Assemblers in April 2015 at a local Kaiser Permanente hospital farmers market.
“We sold 40 bowls,” he says. “We didn’t know what to expect, but that felt better than we’d hoped.”
One farmers market became four and the lines of fans started to grow, not only with hospital staff, but their friends, neighbors and past visitors. “Everyone asked where they could find us during the week, and we’d have to say, well, we don’t have a store yet,” Savitch says.
Renaming the company to Blue Bowl Superfoods and launching a brick-and-mortar location was a time of transition. Klasky made the decision to take advantage of his military college benefits, earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at California State Fullerton.
At the same time, Savitch caught the interest of Ismael “Ish” Lozano, a sales rep for a food distributor who was selling him acai ingredients, and he came on as a sweat-equity partner.
In July 2016, they opened their first store, strategically located next to Children’s Hospital Orange County and St. Joseph’s Hospital. “It all came back to my original concept, that people who work in hospitals have a stressful work environment and need something on the go,” Savitch says.
New evolution
As Blue Bowl was opening their third location four years ago, Savitch reconnected with Craig Edelman, a high school water polo rival who later became a friend and college roommate. Edelman had relocated to California after several years of running a business incubator in Colombia and joined as a third partner.
“That’s when we started thinking more seriously about where we could take the company,” Savitch says.The answer came in the form of four more stores, located near medical complexes and universities, and growth to 110 employees.
Just like 2016, this will be a year of evolution for Blue Bowl. Their original location recently moved 200 feet to a new medical office tower, and three more sites are in the works, bringing the total to 10.
Vera Nedeljkovic, senior vice president and manager of the Temecula Valley branch, says CB&T is looking forward to helping the company continue on this upward trajectory. “We’re honored to be a part of Blue Bowl’s continuous growth. As their banker, I feel privileged they trust my guidance to offer financial solutions tailored to their specific needs,” she says. “We’re excited to see what the upcoming year will bring and look forward to our continued partnership.”
In addition to more locations, the company is also taking a leap into the consumer-packaged goods space with ReadyBowl.
“It’s a grab-and-go bowl with its own spoon,” Savitch says. “It needed to be a disruptive improvement to existing brands, so it’s scoopable right out of the freezer.”
ReadyBowls are available at Children’s Hospital Orange County and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles currently, and the team is in talks with other hospitals, while exploring possibilities with college campuses, military bases, grocery chains and airports.“
We’ve had highs and lows like any business venture, but our partnership is like an old steam train,” Savitch says. “As president and CEO, I’m the conductor, looking out the front at Craig. As CFO and chief product officer, he’s blasting a path with dynamite and laying tracks. Then I turn around to see Ish, who’s our COO and has coal all over his face from shoveling, keeping the stores stocked and functioning. We’re really appreciative for the experience we’re having together, which feels like a once-in-a-lifetime journey.”