Palmetto Superfoods

What Palmetto Superfoods does

Palmetto Superfoods is a privately held, plant-based açaí bowl and smoothie restaurant chain headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates 18 physical storefronts — 17 across California (Bay Area, Sacramento, Southern California) and one in Austin, Texas — selling customizable bowls and smoothies built around an 11-item proprietary base menu, including its flagship Brazilian açaí blend, Pitaya, Coconut Beach, Tropical Spirulina, Matchacado 2.0, Passionate Mango, Toasted Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats, Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Pudding, Blackberry Ube, and POG!. The açaí blend is sourced directly from Brazil via supply-chain relationships held by co-founders Thaís and Amanda Moreira, who previously operated Cafe De Casa, with no third-party intermediaries. The chain is almost entirely dairy-free and vegan-friendly, with in-house nut-butter production and premium ingredient sourcing such as ceremonial-grade matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen of Uji, Japan.

The company's business model is direct-to-consumer retail, monetized through in-store bowl and smoothie sales supplemented by a mobile Rewards App (iOS/Android) that serves as the primary ordering platform, offering Palm Bucks loyalty (2 per $1 loaded) and Palmotions promotional perks. Online ordering via the company website is powered by DoorDash as a separate software system. A catering service targets corporate events and private gatherings with three tiers of white-glove on-site/off-site offerings. Co-founders Charles Lee (CEO-CTO) and Hessam Shirmohammadi (COO-CMO) bring fashion and CPG brand-building experience from Nike, Patagonia, RangeMe, and similar roles, while Thaís and Amanda Moreira anchor the supply chain and proprietary recipe development.

The company was founded in 2019 following Charles Lee's 2015 discovery of the Moreiras' Cafe De Casa, and has expanded rapidly to 18 locations with planned further expansion into San Ramon, Berkeley, Oahu Hawaii, and additional San Francisco sites. The business appears to be bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional capital, private equity investment, or funding rounds in the source data. No revenue, headcount-disclosed financials, or external investor signals are publicly available; ownership is concentrated in the four co-founders.

Name

Palmetto Superfoods

Legal name

Palmetto Superfoods Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://palmettosuperfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Palmetto Superfoods is a privately held, plant-based açaí bowl and smoothie restaurant chain operating 18 storefronts across California and Austin, Texas. It serves health-conscious consumers with an 11-item proprietary base menu, a mobile Rewards App, and event catering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-based fast-casual açaí bowls and smoothies

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plant-Based & Vegan Fast Casual (THAFABAK)

Keywords

• Plant-based açaí bowls
• Vegan smoothie chain
• Healthy fast casual
• Brazilian superfood restaurants
• Catering smoothie service

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Bowl and Smoothie Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of açaí bowls, smoothies, and related food products through physical storefront locations. Customers can customize orders with various bases, toppings, and add-ons.
2. Catering Services: Corporate and private event catering services with three tiers of service offerings. 'White glove' service for on-site or off-site events.
3. Loyalty Program (Palm Bucks): Rewards program where customers earn Palm Bucks (2 Palm Bucks per $1.00 spent when loading to Palmetto Card) redeemable towards future purchases. Drives customer retention and recurring engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Palmetto Superfoods sells plant-based, vegan-friendly açaí bowls and fruit smoothies through its chain of physical retail storefronts in California and Texas. Customers can order customizable Build Your Own bowls, Signature Bowls, or Health Boost Smoothies built from 11 proprietary bases (including Palmetto's Açaí, Pitaya, Coconut Beach, Tropical Spirulina, Passionate Mango, Japan-Cali Matchacado, Steel Cut Oats, Chia Pudding, Blackberry Ube, and POG!). The company supplements retail with a mobile rewards app (order-ahead, Palm Bucks loyalty), DoorDash-powered website ordering, and a three-tier catering service for corporate and private events.

Product overview

Palmetto Superfoods is a plant-based, vegan-friendly açaí bowl and smoothie restaurant chain operating primarily across the Bay Area and expanding into other regions. The core product is a line of customizable açaí bowls and smoothies built around multiple proprietary base offerings (Palmetto's Açaí, Pitaya Dragonfruit, Coconut Beach™, Tropical Spirulina™, Passionate Mango™, Japan-Cali Matchacado™ 2.0, Toasted Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats, Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Pudding, Blackberry Ube, and POG!), available as Build Your Own bowls, Signature Bowls, or Health Boost Smoothies. The offering is extended by a Palmetto Superfoods Rewards App (available on iOS and Android) for mobile ordering, loyalty (Palm Bucks/Palmotions), and in-store payment, and by a Catering Service with three tiers of white-glove service for events. The website ordering platform is powered by DoorDash as a separate software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Palmetto's Açaí (Açaí Bowls base) The flagship base made from proprietary Brazilian açaí berries, naturally sweetened with fruits, high in fiber for gut health, rich in antioxidants, vegan, organic, and responsibly sourced directly from Brazil. Contains a small amount of strawberries and bananas. Used in customizable açaí bowls for health-conscious consumers.
• Pitaya Dragonfruit Bowl Base A base made from dragon fruit (pitaya) pulp blended with tapioca (cassava root), agave, and tamarind. Naturally packed with fiber and nutrients including magnesium, iron, and vitamin C; may aid digestion and gut health. Used in bowls and smoothies for plant-based consumers.
• Coconut Beach™ Bowl Base A base made from coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut sugar, tapioca (cassava root), and tamarind. Low in carbs and high in MCTs (good fats) that boost endurance and energy; contains essential minerals including manganese, selenium, and iron. Used in bowls and smoothies for health-focused consumers.
• Tropical Spirulina™ Bowl Base A base combining E3 Blue Spirulina, mango, pineapple, coconut milk/cream, tapioca, tamarind, and blue butterfly pea flower tea for coloring. Spirulina is an algae-derived superfood high in protein and antioxidants that supports heart health. Used in bowls and smoothies.
• Passionate Mango™ Bowl Base A base made from fresh mangos and passionfruit, blended with tapioca (cassava root), agave, and tamarind. Naturally high in essential vitamins, collagen, and immune-supporting nutrients. Used in bowls and smoothies for health-conscious consumers.
• Japan-Cali Matchacado™ 2.0 Bowl Base An upgraded matcha base featuring premium ceremonial matcha sourced from Marukyu Koyamaen of Uji, Japan, combined with West Coast avocados, coconut milk/cream, tapioca, and agave. Provides natural energy from matcha, antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties, and omega-3s.
• Toasted Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats Bowl Base A morning-favorite base made from cinnamon powder, steel cut oats, oat milk, maple syrup, Himalayan pink salt, and brown rice protein powder (15g-20g per serving). High in fiber and serves as a pre- or post-workout boost.
• Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Pudding Bowl Base A chia pudding base made with chia seeds, coconut milk, agave, maple syrup, and blue butterfly pea flower. Rich in digestion-aiding fiber and heart-healthy omega-3s; blue butterfly pea flower supports skin and hair health and stabilizes blood sugar.
• Blackberry Ube Bowl Base A base combining blackberries with ube/taro/purple sweet potato blends, coconut milk, coconut cream, tapioca (cassava root), agave, and tamarind. Used in bowls and smoothies.
• POG! Bowl Base (Passion Fruit Orange Guava) A base made from passionfruit, Cara Cara oranges, guava, tapioca (cassava root), agave, and tamarind. Used in bowls and smoothies.
• Build Your Own Bowl A customizable bowl offering where customers choose from the various base options and toppings to create a personalized açaí bowl or smoothie. For individual consumers at retail locations and via the rewards app.
• Signature Bowls Pre-designed specialty bowls with curated ingredient combinations, presented as signature menu items for retail customers at Palmetto Superfoods locations.
• Health Boost Smoothies Smoothies designed with health-boosting ingredients, available in Small (8oz, 200+ cal), Medium (16oz, 350+ cal), and Large (24oz, 500+ cal) sizes. For individual consumers at retail locations.
• Catering Service A catering service offering three tiers of white-glove service for on-site or off-site events, team meals, and private gatherings, with a team available to contact for booking. Targets corporate clients and private event organizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Menu is completely dairy-free with almost entirely vegan offerings (excluding optional honey and collagen)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Marukyu Koyamaen (Uji, Japan)minorOthersPremium matcha supplier for the Japan-Cali Matchacado base. The matcha is sourced from the coveted matcha brand Marukyu Koyamaen of Ogura Uji, Japan, representing the highest quality ceremonial grade matcha.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Frutta Bowls: Açaí, smoothie, and bowl franchise operating across the US. Competes head-to-head on product format (customizable açaí bowls) and target segment (wellness-focused consumers).
• Robeks: Established premium smoothie and açaí bowl franchise with ~100 locations nationwide. Comparable on menu customization, plant-based positioning, and franchise-based expansion model.
• Playa Bowls: National açaí and smoothie bowl franchise with 200+ locations. Closest direct competitor in product category, target customer (health-conscious), and D2C fast-casual format, but with significantly broader geographic footprint and venture backing.
• Nekter Juice Bar: Specialty juice and bowl chain with 170+ US locations. Directly comparable as a plant-based, customizable bowl/smoothie concept serving a similar health-conscious consumer base.

Emerging players

• Pressed Juicery: California-based premium cold-pressed juice and plant-based brand. Comparable on plant-based, California-coastal positioning and shared target consumer, with a broader product line spanning retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• Jamba: National smoothie and bowl chain owned by GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands). Comparable on smoothie and açaí bowl offerings, with a much larger retail footprint and brand recognition.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Franchised fast-casual chain serving smoothies, bowls, and wraps at 1,000+ US locations. Direct category overlap on bowls and smoothies with similar target demographics.
• Smoothie King: National smoothie chain with 1,000+ locations. Overlaps on health-focused smoothies and bowls, but offers broader menu and franchise infrastructure at lower price points.

Others

• SoulCycle / peloton-style wellness brands: Adjacent wellness/lifestyle consumer brand serving the same affluent, health-conscious urban demographic that Palmetto targets, useful as a comparable for brand-extension and customer-overlap analysis.

Regional players

• Cafe De Casa: Bay Area Brazilian eatery founded by Thaís and Amanda Moreira (the same sisters behind Palmetto). Operates 3 SF-area locations and shares the proprietary açaí recipe with Palmetto Superfoods.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/palmettosuperfoods/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@palmettosuperfoods?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
• Xx.com/palmettospf
• Facebookfacebook.com/palmettosuperfoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palmettosuperfoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Palmetto Superfoods