Acai Berry Foods is a distinguished chain of superfood cafés based in London, specialising in açaí products. The company was incorporated in 2016 with a vision to make the açaí berry, a remarkable superfood, accessible and enjoyable for everyone, as authentically as if one were in the Amazon rainforest. It began as a stall on Brick Lane and has grown to ten shops in London, four in the United Arab Emirates and one in New York. The company prides itself on delivering the freshest and most concentrated açaí products available.
What it sells
In its shops the business sells açaí bowls, smoothies and blended fruit drinks. Online it sells its frozen açaí pulp in tubs, delivered to customers’ homes so they can make their own bowls. The fruit is grown on the Brazilian side of the Amazon. Açaí spoils within hours of picking, so it is pulped and frozen at the business’s own factory in the Amazon, mixed to its own recipe, and shipped frozen to London.
Caio Marchesani’s role
Caio Marchesani played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Acai Berry Foods. The business would not be what it is today without him. He was behind it from the start: he advised the business, and two of its first three shops opened in 2016 with his backing. When it wanted to expand, it needed a partner who understood business, accounting and finance, and he came in formally. He bought out the early investors, brought the separate shop companies together into one group, structured the finance, set the budgets, and brought in the marketing and design resources, the network of landlords and advisers, and the vision the business needed to grow. Today he is a director and co-owner of the group, responsible for its finance and strategy. He is instrumental in budgeting and in monitoring the company’s spending on stock, labour and other costs, and every new site passes through his feasibility analysis and project management before it opens. He has never been the face of the brand. He is the one who made it happen: three shops when he came in, fifteen today, across London, the UAE and New York.
Under his leadership, Acai Berry Foods has built a strong company culture, rooted in shared values and a sense of purpose, reflected in initiatives such as mentorship programmes and employee recognition. The business also shows its social responsibility through environmental initiatives in Brazil and contributions to charitable causes focused on the Amazon and education, values Marchesani has helped instil in the company.
Where to find it
London: ten shops, among them Camden Market, the Royal Exchange, St James’s Park, Chelsea and Soho. United Arab Emirates: four shops, three in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. New York: 377 Broome Street. More shops are planned in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. The full list, with opening hours, is on acaiberryfoods.com.
The business exhibits at Gulfood in Dubai, has appeared at Taste of London in Regent’s Park, and is listed among the food traders at Boxpark Shoreditch.
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