Clean and healthy eating and environmental consciousness are two of the decade’s most popular trends due to increasing awareness of the topics via social media. But despite that, not many have been able to integrate the two using technology. That’s where Moberi’s founder Ryan Carpenter saw an opportunity and delivered the results nobody knew they wanted.
Portland, Oregon-based entrepreneur Ryan was struck with the idea of starting Moberi in 2011 when he saw a trending Guatemalan video in which people were using bikes to power numerous appliances around the house. The video inspired Ryan to try it out, and Ryan came across the idea of using the bike’s mechanical power for running a blender. When he succeeded in the experiment, he saw the opportunity of making smoothies by pedaling as a great business idea.
With the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign, Ryan raised $6,000 to invest in the business he had started with a $500 savings. Ryan went on to buy 2 more bikes than the one he had initially experimented with and a mobile cart to provide the service all around Portland. That’s how Moberi, a smoothie business proud of using bike-powered blenders, came into being. Mo in Moberi stands for mobile, whereas beri is short for berries, staple produce of Oregon.
Ryan entered Shark Tank season 5 hoping to get $50,000 in exchange for a 15% equity in his company. He brought his whole business set up along with the bikes to give sharks an experience of how pleasing it is to blend one’s smoothie. Mark and Daymond enjoyed the ride while Ryan gave out some premade samples to the rest of the panel.
While the panel loved the taste of the smoothie and the profit of $70,000 Moberi generated the year before its appearance looked okay, none of the sharks was interested in investing. Kevin rejected the biking part, whereas the rest of the sharks didn’t believe the business was scalable. Ryan returned with only his company with him and without a deal with sharks.
Though the sharks didn’t seem to enjoy Ryan’s passion and innovation, people seemed to applaud his efforts. Instead of giving up on his weird idea, he persevered with the support of his customers and went on to only expand Moberi beyond one’s imagination. Today, Ryan’s innovative business Moberi is turning heads and generating revenue of $5 million annually.
Our Review of Moberi
Since its appearance on Shark Tank, Moberi has evolved massively. The business is no longer a mobile cart; Moberi now has brick-and-mortar stores at three different locations across Portland and the fourth one in Beaverton. People love dining in and are thrilled by the idea of having a bike-powered charging station at the store. Children are the most attracted to the bikes amongst the crowd though adults appreciate them no less.
Moberi has also gone on to expand its menu. Besides smoothies, Moberi is now also famous for its delicious and healthy sugar-free Acai bowls customers swear by. Along with the dine-in services, Moberi offers takeaways and home deliveries for their delicious food.
Another thing that keeps customers returning to Moberi’s social platforms is the short video recipes Ryan posts every once in a while. People love engaging with these recipes and learning a thing or two of their own. Moberi also has excellent customer service and a friendly staff that pleases the customers whenever they are at Moberi.
Pros of Moberi
Since its launch in 2011, Moberi has successfully attracted numerous customers of all ages with its unique pedal-to-your-own smoothie idea. Therefore, the loyal customers have stuck by Moberi, and the business has never disappointed them:
- Moberi has always been consistent with the quality of ingredients used in smoothies and acai bowls. Customers were especially thrilled to see the usage of fresh ingredients during the pandemic
- Customers of Moberi are hooked on the great taste of Moberi’s delectable menu. Each food has a smooth texture that makes each bite melt into the mouth. Customers love the burst of flavors from different fresh vegan ingredients
- Customers are in awe of Moberi’s punctuality in delivering food orders. They deliver before the promised time and never disappoint
- Moberi is also quite generous with the number of toppings on acai bowls, where most businesses try to restrict the usage of crunchy toppings
- While Moberi isn’t mainly centered around bike-powered blended smoothies anymore, the bike-powered charging station still fascinates its customers
- Moberi’s clean and hygienic environment has made it a place of regular visit for chilling and hangout for all ages
- Moberi’s excellent and friendly staff constantly brings smiles to customer’s faces with its polite behavior
- Moberi is also viewed as a health-conscious business, especially with its bikes, as young children initially biked and made their smoothies, aiding them in reducing obesity
- The bike-powered charging station, along with the idea to go with a brick-and-mortar store to save the wastage from mobile carts shoe that Moberi is an environmentally conscious business
Cons of Moberi
With so many attributes winning the hearts of hundreds of Moberi customers, here are a few things customers aren’t pleased about:
- Customers, especially new traction, find Moberi slightly expensive and overrated. Many new purchasers do not appreciate having a higher price point for a product that one can quickly get their hands on for a lower price.
- While the charging station works perfectly and charges the phone without question at Moberi, customers have often had an issue with broken bikes, which they weren’t most happy about
Who Is Moberi For?
If you want to start or continue on the path to healthy lifestyle choices while enjoying super delicious food, Moberi is the perfect place for you. You’d be addicted to the flavor-packed acai bowls and the smoothly fluid texture of smoothies. The store is an ideal hangout place after the gym or for a quick healthy lunch.
People also usually like to enjoy the place’s ambience and its outdoor seating, especially on pleasant summer days. If that sounds like you, Moberi is a must-try.
Are There Any Alternatives?
While Moberi’s fame is unmatched thanks to its appearance on the shark tank, Happy Day Juice Co is another loved venture in the same region of health enthusiast Portland. The customers appreciate healthy eating options at Happy Day even if there are no bikes involved. It provides its customers with numerous healthy meal options, including nutritious smoothie bowls, energizing protein shakes, freshly obtained juices, etc.
Due to Moberi’s years of presence, its customer base is much stronger and more loyal than Happy Day.
Our Final Thoughts
Ryan was relentless in his pursuit of turning his idea into a successful business, but he was flexible with how he achieved it. As the years passed, Moberi has evolved from a startup to a full-fledged business that’s up and running despite the rejection from the sharks. Moberi has succeeded in gaining loyal repeat customers while attracting the new crowd as healthy eating trends are taking over the food market.
If you’re into having healthy food options for your meals and love a business that’s polite and loyal to its customers, you must pay a visit to Moberi. Its four locations are all situated in the same region; Moberi is a profitable business for the locals and is loved by its consumers.
