Food Entrepreneur - May 10, 2022 - 8

Waju uses a
patent-pending process
to recover leftover water
from juice concentrate
production to make its
low-calorie, carbonated
beverages.
sports scientists and
nutritionists about
hydration and coffee,
and I discovered it's
a really interesting
topic, " Mr. Burbank
said. " Coffee is the least
hydrating staple beverage
that's out there. For so long
we have had these sports drinks that
have electrolytes, and there's no reason
electrolytes couldn't also help coffee with
hydration. "
Offerings include black cold-brew,
added sweeteners. Flavors include lemon,
strawberry and blueberry.
" I didn't want to overcomplicate the
positioning of the product by adding combo
flavors or weird fruit at the beginning, "
Mr. Oates explained. " I wanted to focus on
a single fruit people know so it's approachable
and people understand the message. "
The upcycled food movement is gaining
momentum. Waju is one of dozens
of emerging brands developing food and
beverages using traditionally overlooked
ingredients or byproducts.
" Upcycling is huge, and we're an
upcycled product, but I think there's an
additional layer on top of that, which is
water scarcity, " Mr. Oates said. " We know
in the next eight years, 40% of the global
population will face a water deficit, meaning
they won't have adequate access to the
daily supply of water needed to hydrate
and bathe.
" There's a bigger picture here to
inspire solutions to address global water
scarcity. We are not going to be the full
solve for that, but I think we will make
an impact and we will bring
awareness to this growing
issue that's going to become
even more critical in the
years to come. "
'Red Bull of coffee'
Another Big Apple-based
between New York and Las Vegas every
week but still fought fatigue.
" As I was flying out to Las Vegas,
spending time in hotels, airplanes and so
on, I realized I was just getting dehydrated
and coffee wasn't helping with it, " Mr.
Burbank recalled. " That was the inspiration. "
Featuring
Colombian dark-roast
beans, Oaza delivers twice the caffeine
cold-brew with oat milk, and cacao mocha
cold-brew with oat milk. The latter
options are sweetened with organic
monk fruit extract. The beverages also
contain L-theanine, an amino acid linked
to improved focus and mental performance.
" The
name translates to 'oasis,' and
it reflects all the things the product is
about, " Mr. Burbank said. " It's refreshing,
energizing and healthy. "
Products currently are available in
approximately 400 retail locations across
the country, including major airports and
'There's a bigger picture here
to inspire solutions to address
global water scarcity.'
- Chris Oates, Blue Yonder Brands
Oaza Beverages
blurs the lines between
sports drinks and coffee,
of an average ready-to-drink latte, with a
quarter of the calories and no sugar. The
beverages boast less acidity than traditional
coffees for easier digestion
and a smoother taste, according
to the company.
" I talked to a lot of
offering a range of canned
cold-brew with added
electrolytes to provide
sustained energy.
startup, Oaza Beverages, blurs
the lines between sports drinks and
coffee, offering a range of canned coldbrew
with added electrolytes to provide
sustained energy.
Founder Jeff Burbank initially identified
a disconnect between caffeination
and hydration in his earlier career as a
supply chain consultant. He regularly
relied on cold-brew coffee while traveling
44
Food Business News
a train station.
" For us the vision for the product is
around being that ready-to-drink boost of
energy, essentially being the Red Bull of
coffee, " Mr. Burbank said. " We're introducing
powerful ingredients into coffee ...
and it's just very well suited for grab-andgo,
as an impulse thing. "
Future product launches may include
single-serve espresso shots and multiserve
cartons for home coffee routines,
Mr. Burbank said. In the year ahead, he
plans to expand Oaza's footprint in grocery
and convenience stores and online
while reducing costs.
" Supply costs have exploded in the
last three or four months, " he said. " This
year has been tough because the cost of
coffee has almost doubled... While my
goal is to be a lower-cost and more affordable
coffee, we're still at the premium
$3.99 to $4.49 price point per can as we
deal with higher input costs. " ▪
May 10, 2022
BLUE YONDER BRANDS
Food Entrepreneur - May 10, 2022

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