Today, we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Curbelo.
Hi Alyssa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I always looked up to my father and older sister, who were entrepreneurs and had always owned their own businesses. That drive and passion for their respective businesses were a huge inspiration for me to be my own boss one day. I was a competitive cheerleader from the age of four throughout high school, so I needed to stay in shape and and have always enjoyed eating nutritious foods.
While in high school, I came across acai bowls and immediately fell in love. I have always been passionate about health and wellness as I was also majoring in nutrition at FIU. I decided to do some research and discover the endless benefits that acai has. I knew then and there that I wanted to share not only my love for acai but also show my community that healthy eating can be fun and creative!
So, I started to make them at home and was able to master the consistency, flavor, and presentation of the bowl. The next step in my entrepreneurial dream was to come up with a business name, something unique and catchy. I knew I wanted my business to have a coastal theme since I was always driven to the island life, spending my summers in the Florida Keys.
One day, my family and I were on our boat in the Keys, and my sister and I were joking and throwing names around for the business. I wanted “Shaka” to be incorporated since I loved the meaning and hand sign. While pondering what would go well with “Shaka,” we finally decided on ”Fresh” as it complements the meaning of “shaka” as an expression of approval.
I came up with a logo, bought some plastic containers, and started selling them to my friends at the cheer gym that I grew up in and delivering them to other people. Shortly after, I decided to start doing pop-ups with the help of my mom. Doing pop-ups with the tent started to get extremely difficult with the amount of coolers and space we needed to keep things cold.
My mom and I thought long and hard about how to make this business unique and accessible so we decided to get our first Shaka Shack on wheels! We bought a trailer in north Florida and with the help of my boyfriend, we modified it to meet our needs. After a month of ideas and execution, the Shaka Shack made its debut on July 4th of last year.
We now go as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Broward. It’s been a blast doing pop-ups on the weekends and catering events in South Florida. Our customers’ love of our products has truly made every ounce of sweat so worthwhile, and we hope to continue to grow with the love and support of our community.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning a small business while being a full-time student has been quite the experience.
Juggling my time to make the most of every minute, being present with my friends and family, and taking care of my health while also sticking to my faith hasn’t always been easy, but I can say that I have learned invaluable lessons along the way.
Managing the trailer can be tricky at times as we have limited space, but every event teaches us how to further improve our business as we continue to grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Shaka Fresh is an acai bowl and smoothie business running out of a concession trailer.
We take great pride in the quality of the products that we offer — from our products being all-natural to the freshness of the fruits, to the consistency of the açai and smoothies. I believe that is what sets us apart from the rest.
What matters most to you? Why?
I take pride in the fact that our consumers are able to get that family-like service when coming to us. A good amount of people love the intimate service they receive when coming to the Shaka Shack. Having my mom with me in the trailer taking the orders has been the biggest blessing and has made running this business so special.
Having her involved in every step and decision I’ve needed to make has been something I will always cherish. I could honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her endless support. In the near future, we do plan on expanding, but we want to continue to keep that family-casual charm.
Contact Info:
- Website: shakafresh.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakafresh/
