Learn About Zola

In 2001, I received a phone call from a man in Brazil (I was involved in the juice & smoothie business and he had gone to my website). In broken English, he told me about a great-tasting purple berry that was reputed to have magical properties. It was also the “in” drink in Rio and other beach cities. That berry was called Açaí.

Then he said, “Açaí gives you energy and power.” That certainly got my attention and got him my address. (After all, who doesn’t need more energy to power through the day?) So just one week later, there’s a package for me at my office. A package of frozen Açaí pulp samples. 

I decided to blend the Açaí with some juice. I drank it and my taste buds lit up like the Christmas lights on the roof of Chevy Chase’s house in Christmas Vacation. The fantastic, unique combination tasted like tropical berries and chocolate. I wanted more. So I blended up another Açaí and quickly downed it.  15 minutes later, I felt a wave of energy. I felt incredible. 

Now things really started to move. Several months later. I was in a meeting in Los Angeles with my friend Andrew Colehower, a Los Angeles-based seller of organic produce. Some guy started raving about a fruit he’d had during his last trip to Brazil, a fruit that gave him a lot of energy. He couldn’t remember the name, so of course I asked if it was Açaí. He nearly jumped out of his seat. He was so excited not just that someone else had tasted Açaí, but that I remembered the name.  After the meeting, I told Andrew that a company in the U.S. was already selling Açaí. We talked to them, but saw that their frozen packaging was difficult to use. Being entrepreneurs at heart, we thought there had to be a better way. We agreed it was time to go to Brazil.

When we landed, the first thing we did was to head straight for a little juice bar that sold Açaí. We drank our first of many Açaí-blended drinks.  Instantly, we were hooked. We started eating and drinking Açaí three times a day. Had you looked closely at our eyes, I swear you would have seen purple. It seemed that everywhere we turned there was a juice bar, beach hut, or café selling Açaí. 

If the phrase “You are what you eat” is true, then we were giant Açaí berries exploring the town. After three weeks of “berry existence,” we knew we had found something special. We knew people at home would love Açaí. Our quest to bring Açaí to the U.S. had already started. 

But after 3 weeks of research and countless visits to “sub-standard” Açaí factories, we became discouraged.  Finding a good source of Açaí was very hard. The companies we visited could never produce Açaí that would pass the strict U.S. requirements for importing clean, safe products. Without a reliable source, we had nothing. Finally, on the last day of the trip, we struck gold.  We met Ben-Hur.

Ben-Hur (now our partner in the Amazon; yes, that is his real name, but no, he does not drive a chariot!) was a forest engineer who wanted to help save the Amazon. He had started a Co-Op and bought an island devastated by deforestation. They planted 70,000 Açaí palms, built a school, and laid down a concrete slab, hoping they would have the opportunity to build an Açaí processing facility. Ben-Hur thought that, if he could sell Açaí to the U.S., consumption would go way up. That would provide an economic motive to save the trees and, in turn, to contribute to saving the Amazon and improving the living conditions of the indigenous people. So, when we met him, Ben-Hur was waiting---and hoping---for someone to buy his Açaí. It was a perfect match.

We returned with a special supply agreement, including a commitment to sell Açaí in the U.S. But after several more trips to Brazil, we realized that we could make the world’s first shelf stable (that means no refrigeration needed) Açaí Superfruit Juice. Our vision meant no frozen product or blender would be needed.  With shelf stability, there’d be a portable and convenient way for everyone to get Açaí on the go.  

Now came the hard part. We worked long hours on a business plan, raised some money from friends and family, and helped oversee the building of our Açaí processing facility. And we named our company Zola, because … well, that’s a company secret!

All in all, it took one long year of hard work until we received our first container load of Zola. That very same week (it was early in 2003), we sold our first case of Zola out of the back of my car. For the first 800 cases, that car was our store. It jump-started our sales, and they’ve continued to accelerate.

Today, team leaders at local Whole Foods tell us that Zola Açaí is in the top 10 products sold in the entire grocery department. Yes, it’s taken many late nights, a ton of laughs and an occasional tear. And it’s all been worth it, many times over, because we truly believe Zola is the next best thing since sliced bread.

While we’re still a small company in size, we are huge in spirit. There is nothing like seeing someone walking down the street drinking a Zola. There is nothing like going into a grocery store and marveling at the massive 100 case displays of Zola in the front, and then going back a short time later and seeing them all sold out. Today, Zola Açaí Superfruit Juice is available from coast to coast and can be found in stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats and more---and that number is still growing. Thanks to you, our customers, every moment is witness to the fulfillment of our original vision for Zola.

All the best, Chris Cuvelier - Co-Founder & President, Zola Açaì