Today, I want to tell you about how I started my very own bike-powered smoothies business named “Pedal Smoothies.” Pedal Smoothies is Seattle’s first bicycle-powered smoothies company that serves at many local farmers’ markets and caters at private/corporate events.

In the summer of 2013, when I was still studying at the University of Washington full-time for my degree in software engineering, I encountered the concept of “pedal power” for the first time. It was an accident really. I remember typing into google search the keywords “bicycle-powered,” because I was looking for a bicycle-powered head light for my road bike. However, in the suggestions box, Google presented “bicycle-powered blender”. Until that day, I used to think (very naively) that bicycles could only be used as a cheap mode of transport. However, after exploring the different applications of pedal power, I was immediately hooked.

{ Pedal Smoothies being featured on King 5 news }

A brief background information about my work experience is probably necessary before further details about Pedal Smoothies: In 2012, I worked at the farmers’ markets in the Seattle area for a company named “Martin Family Orchards or MFO.” I used to sell cherries, peaches, pears, nectarines, and apples for the orchard. Therefore, I had previous experience of working at the markets and selling products. I had also made several connections with the market organizers during my employment with MFO.

The experience and connections at the farmers’ markets from the year before were very useful while starting out with Pedal Smoothies. I took some of the money from my student loans and set out on the road to entrepreneurship. I made the bike-powered blenders with the help of my engineering buddies and invited them over to my apartment for taste testing of my smoothies and lemonades concoctions. I bought my ingredients from the local organic farmers and conducted business in only the most sustainable way I knew.

{ My friends helped me test the bike-blender and develop smoothies recipes }

I started with only one market per week and was serving bike-powered smoothies at 5 markets per week by the end of the season. People tried out my smoothies and loved the idea of making them by riding a bicycle. This concept was new for most of my customers. Some customers were even interested in hosting Pedal Smoothies at their private events. That’s when I got my catering license and added another revenue stream to the business. Private and corporate events are now bigger than farmers’ markets in terms of revenue.

People found tremendous social currency in making their own smoothies on a bicycle. They would take pictures of themselves and their friends riding a bicycle to make a smoothie and post them on their favorite social media.

Pedal Smoothies also received a lot of attention in the local newspapers. There is another very well written article in the Mercer Island Reporter about the humble beginnings of Pedal Smoothies: http://www.mi-reporter.com/lifestyle/214651261.html.

If you live in the Seattle area and are planning an event, make sure to consider us for catering bike-powered smoothies at your event. We love partnering with companies and individuals alike in making their events a grand success by providing only the healthiest and most delicious smoothies powered by a bicycle.