FAST FOOD INNOVATION
BLUE BOWL SUPERFOODS
Army veteran
BY JAKE POINIER
disrupts acai market
T AKE 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
28
IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 16 | 2024
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker