Avocaderia entered the Shark Tank with the world’s first avocado bar. Located in Brooklyn, it serves up dishes such as toasts, salads, burgers, smoothies and bowls- all using avocado as their core ingredient.
We interviewed the Italian-born trio who started the company, Alessandro Biggi, Francesco Brachetti and Alberto Gramigni. On April 10, 2017, they opened their doors in the Industry City section of Brooklyn, and because of the multitude of opening day guests, ran out of avocados!
This spring, there will be a second Avocaderia- this time in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Their future plans also include the publication of a cookbook this winter and growing their brand outside the U.S.
Here’s what else they told us about…
How the Idea Was Born
The idea came when Alessandro moved to Seattle and realized that there was no place to get good, healthy food for an affordable price. He and his best friend, Francesco grew up in Italy and were used to having easy access to fresh, uncomplicated meals. Luckily for the both of them, Francesco was living in Mexico (and eating avocados morning, day, and night) at the same time that Alessandro came to the United States. So when the two chatted about his despair, they realized that there was an opportunity for them to open a fast-casual eatery dedicated entirely to healthy foods with the incredible avocado as its star ingredient.
The Power of Avocado
Avocado is an incredible super fruit. It’s nutrient dense, meaning that it’s full of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin K, folate, vitamin c, and vitamin B2 — just to name a few. It’s full of fiber and healthy fats so it keeps you feeling full without feeling the need to overeat, which is great for people who are mindful of maintaining a healthy weight. Most importantly, eating avocado helps your body to absorb nutrients from the other plant foods that you consume with it, so it’s the perfect addition to a salad or veggie-filled grain bowl.
Technical Difficulties Before the ‘Tank’
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfEZOVeAozY/?taken-by=avocaderia
Biggi: Honestly, it was a bit of a disaster leading up to my actual pitch-our beautiful Avo Burger totally collapsed- but once I got on stage, all I had to do was be myself and pitch the company that my friends and I worked so hard to build. The hardest part was already done by the time we opened our doors in April.
Bestselling Dishes
The Mediterranean toast, which is toasted sourdough bread with olive tapenade, feta cheese, and smashed avocado, among a few other ingredients is definitely a customer favorite. People also love our Avo Burger, which is essentially one full avocado in place of a bread bun stuffed with yogurt, smoked salmon, and whichever fresh veggies we have on hand that season.
The Many Cons to Running a Business in BK
Brooklyn, especially where we are, is a much smaller crowd than almost anywhere in Manhattan, so it was the perfect place to launch but as we learned, being in Brooklyn won’t stop the crowds after a viral video, which is what we experienced after Insider visited us last year! Even so, it’s a nice break away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. We don’t see many cons to running a business here. It’s been really great acquiring regulars and even though it’s a slower crowd some days, we love that Avocaderia has become the go-to destination for people in the neighborhood.
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