Acai Express
Acai Express is a privately held Puerto Rico–based franchisor founded in 2013 by Héctor Westerband, licensing 50+ açai bowl, pitaya bowl, and smoothie stores across Puerto Rico and the US mainland through food trailer, food truck, and brick-and-mortar formats with a $25,000 franchise fee plus 6% royalties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Juan, Puerto Rico
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Acai Express does
Acai Express is a privately held, Puerto Rico–based franchisor of organic açai bowls, pitaya bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, natural juices, and salads, founded in 2013 by Héctor Westerband with a single food trailer in Guaynabo and operated under an H.Q. in Guaynabo/San Juan. The company's core operational technology is its proprietary recipe and sourcing process for 100% organic Grade A açai berries, purchased directly from farmers in Belen, Brazil via a relationship established by the founder in 2015. Acai Express licenses three franchise formats — food trailers, food trucks, and brick-and-mortar stores — with a deliberately simplified operating model that requires no hoods, fryers, or heavy kitchen equipment. Revenue is generated through a one-time franchise fee ($25,000), a weekly royalty (6% of gross sales), a weekly brand development contribution (2% of gross sales), and the broader startup investment range of $143,400–$359,000; franchise qualification requires $50,000 in liquidity and $250,000 in net worth. The customer base is bifurcated between health-conscious, on-the-go consumers buying bowls and smoothies at franchise locations or via delivery (UberEats, GrubHub, DoorDash) and franchise entrepreneurs in the US and Puerto Rico purchasing turnkey units and territory rights. The company has expanded through a mix of single-unit franchise sales and multi-unit development agreements, partnered with Franchise Growth Solutions (Gary Occhiogrosso) for US mainland build-out, and reached approximately 50 units across Puerto Rico and the US (Florida, Colorado, New Jersey, with stated pipeline in Miami, North Carolina, and South Carolina) by 2021.
Acai Express firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acai Express
- Legal name
- Acai Express
- Website
- https://acaiexpressfranchise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Acai Express is a privately held Puerto Rico–based franchisor founded in 2013 by Héctor Westerband, licensing 50+ açai bowl, pitaya bowl, and smoothie stores across Puerto Rico and the US mainland through food trailer, food truck, and brick-and-mortar formats with a $25,000 franchise fee plus 6% royalties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acai Express industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick Service Restaurant Franchise
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Made-to-Order Counters (Deli/Grill/Bowl/Custom Stations) (CRAHAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods (Deli Salads, Sandwiches, Meal Kits) (CRADACAH)
Keywords
Where Acai Express is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Juan
- HQ country
- Puerto Rico
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Acai Express business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: One-time initial franchise fee of $25,000 granting access to systems, intensive training, support, training manuals, and access to corporate team throughout the franchising process.
- Royalty Fees: Ongoing weekly royalty fees of 6% of gross sales paid by franchisees. This provides recurring revenue based on franchisee sales performance.
- Brand Development Fees: Weekly contribution of 2% of gross sales for brand development costs, used for marketing materials and brand promotion.
- Startup Cost Recovery: Total startup investment ranging from $143,400 to $359,000 depending on business model (food trailer, brick and mortar, or food truck). Includes franchise fee and operational setup costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise Fee: $25,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Royalty: 6% of weekly gross sales |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Brand Development Fee: 2% of weekly gross sales |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Startup Investment: $143,400 - $359,000 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Liquidity Requirement: $50,000 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Net Worth Requirement: $250,000 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Acai Express product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acai Express operates as a franchisor of quick-service restaurants that serve acai bowls, smoothies, and complementary healthy food and beverage items. The company licenses its brand, recipes, and operating model to franchisees who operate retail locations selling made-to-order acai bowls and related menu items to end consumers.
Product overview
Acai Express is a healthy QSR franchise brand offering a unified product portfolio centered on organic super food bowls, smoothies, and juices. The core offering consists of Acai Bowls, Pitaya Bowls, Oatmeal Bowls, Smoothies, Natural Juices, and Salads—all built around 100% Organic Grade A Acai and other super fruits sourced from Brazil. The portfolio extends through sub-products including Premium Pikolé Popsicles (frozen popsicles launched 2019) and the Acai Express Creamery & Cookie Café (ice cream and cookie concept launched 2020). The company operates three franchise business formats: food trailers, food trucks, and brick-and-mortar stores. The franchise provides a turnkey system with an initial investment range of $143,400–$359,000, plus a $25,000 franchise fee, 6% weekly royalties, and 2% brand development fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Acai Express Franchise
- Acai Bowls
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached 50+ franchise units across US and Puerto Rico
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Acai Express
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Acai Express technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Acai Express partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Franchise Growth Solutions, LLCcoreGary Occhiogrosso's franchise development firm with over 30 years of experience in franchise sales and development. Integral to Acai Express's US mainland expansion strategy. Previously worked with nationally recognized brands including Ranch *1, Desert Moon Fresh Mexican Grille, and TRUFOODS, LLC.
- UberEatssupportingThird-party food delivery platform partnership enabling customers to order Acai Express products for delivery, complementing on-site and drive-thru operations.
- GrubHubsupportingFood delivery partnership allowing Acai Express franchise locations to reach customers who prefer delivery, expanding accessibility of healthy food options.
- DoorDashsupportingDelivery platform partnership extending Acai Express brand reach to customers ordering through the DoorDash app.
- National Real Estate CompaniessupportingPartnership with leading real estate companies nationwide to assist franchisees in site selection, considering geographics, traffic, accessibility, and parking factors for optimal store locations.
- Brazilian Communities / Local FarmerscorePartnership with local farmers and communities in Belen, Brazil for sourcing Grade A organic acai berries. Supports Amazon rainforest conservation and creates financial opportunities for local farmers and their families.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Acai Express competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Bowlology: Smaller, emerging acai bowl franchise concept with limited geographic footprint. Comparable product offering (acai bowls, smoothies) but at earlier-stage scale than Acai Express, making it a closer match on concept than on operating maturity.
Direct peers
- Robeks: Established smoothie and juice franchise chain with a long operating history and national footprint. Comparable franchise model offering smoothies, juices, and bowls to health-conscious consumers with similar recurring royalty economics.
- Smoothie King: Major smoothie franchise chain with 1,000+ locations, recently expanding into food bowls. Targets the same health-and-wellness consumer with a similar franchise model and recurring royalty structure, though at significantly larger scale.
- Clean Juice: Organic juice and smoothie bar franchise with 100+ locations. Similar positioning around organic, clean-label ingredients and franchise-driven expansion, competing for the same health-conscious consumer and franchisee pool.
- Playa Bowls: Fast-growing acai bowl and smoothie franchise founded in 2014 on the East Coast. Most direct product overlap with Acai Express, with a comparable franchise model, menu (acai/pitaya bowls), and target consumer. Competes for the same franchisee candidates and real estate.
- Vitality Bowls: Superfood bowl and smoothie franchise with 60+ locations. Comparable menu focus on acai bowls, smoothies, and paninis, targeting health-conscious consumers through a franchise model with similar investment levels to Acai Express.
- Frutta Bowls: Franchise specializing in acai bowls, smoothies, and wraps with multiple locations across the eastern US. Direct head-to-head competitor with overlapping menu and customer base, and a comparable franchise fee structure.
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Largest direct competitor in the franchise health-focused smoothie/bowl space with 1,000+ units across the US. Operates a similar franchise model selling smoothies, bowls, and wraps to health-conscious consumers, with comparable franchise fees and royalty structures.
- Nekter Juice Bar: Established acai bowl, smoothie, and juice franchise with 170+ locations. Directly comparable product offering (acai bowls, smoothies, juices) targeting the same health-conscious consumer segment with a similar franchise operating model.
Broad incumbents
- Freshii: Public health-focused QSR franchise offering bowls, salads, wraps, smoothies, and juices across North America. Broader menu than Acai Express and larger scale, but targets the same health-conscious, on-the-go consumer segment with a similar franchise model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Acai Express social profiles
Digital presenceAcai Express financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acai Express leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Acai Express funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acai Express M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acai Express
What does Acai Express do?
Acai Express operates as a franchisor of quick-service restaurants that serve acai bowls, smoothies, and complementary healthy food and beverage items. The company licenses its brand, recipes, and operating model to franchisees who operate retail locations selling made-to-order acai bowls and related menu items to end consumers.
Is Acai Express a public or private company?
Acai Express is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Acai Express founded?
Acai Express was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Acai Express based?
Acai Express is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the Latin America region.
How does Acai Express make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are royalty Fees, brand Development Fees and startup Cost Recovery.
Who are Acai Express's main competitors?
Bowlology is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Robeks, Smoothie King, Clean Juice, Playa Bowls, Vitality Bowls, Frutta Bowls, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Nekter Juice Bar. Freshii is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Acai Express have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acai Express.
What industry is Acai Express in?
Acai Express's product category is Quick Service Restaurant Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAKAK, Made-to-Order Counters (Deli/Grill/Bowl/Custom Stations), with a secondary code of CRADACAH, Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods (Deli Salads, Sandwiches, Meal Kits). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.