Frescos Naturales on 'Shark Tank': What's the cost, who's the founder behind canned agua frescas drinks
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Juan Ignacio Stewart is the creator of Frescos Naturales, the beverage brand that believes "the traditional flavor of aguas frescas with a modern twist of bubbles" produces amazing results. Juan appears on the 'Shark Tank' stage during Season 14 to see if the Sharks want to fund his venture.
He was overjoyed to announce to his Instagram followers that he will be appearing on Season 14 of 'Shark Tank.' Continue reading to discover more about the brand before it makes its debut on the popular ABC show.
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What is Frescos Naturales?
Frescos Naturales is a Latino-owned beverage company that specializes in making excellent and refreshing Aguas Frescas. Each drink is allegedly created with the highest-quality ingredients and a trace amount of sugar, making it a better option than other processed drinks on the market.
Juan Stewart, who grew up in La Antigua, Guatemala, and migrated to Boulder, Colorado when he was 17 years old, created the company. Juan has always loved Aguas Frescas and grew up drinking them prepared with fruits such as tamarind, hibiscus, and pineapple. The idea to bottle and sell these beverages occurred to him over a meal with his son, and in 2018, he began selling Rosa de Jamaica (hibiscus) at the local farmers' markets.
With the success of the rosa de jamaica, Juan went out to create new flavors, giving birth to Frescos Naturales. Mango, Guayaba, Piña, Maracuya, Tamarindo, and Rosa de Jamaica are among the different flavors available from the brand. Here's what you need to know about the different flavors to choose between them.
Mango: A refreshing drink created with luscious and sweet mangoes that is ideal for individuals who want a tropical twist.
Guayaba: A effervescent drink created from guava, a sweet and tart tropical fruit.
Piña: A sparkling pineapple drink that is sweet and tangy. Ideal for individuals who enjoy a tropical twist.
Maracuya: Maracuya, sometimes known as passion fruit, is indigenous to Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. The flavor of this effervescent drink is light and bright, with tropical sweetness and a hint of acidity.
Tamarindo: Tamarind is one of Latin America's most popular beverages, and Frescos Naturales gives it due credit. This bubbly beverage has an earthy sweet and sour flavor with energizing acid overtones.
Rosa de Jamaica: Rosa de Jamaica is a sparkling hibiscus cocktail that is mildly sweet and tangy. Ideal for individuals who want a little acidity in their cocktails.
Frescos Naturales is especially proud of its dedication to its Latino roots. Sebastián, the company's creative director, grew up drinking natural refrescos in his native Peru. He pioneered the brand's visual identity, using vibrant colors and presenting flavor names in Spanish to pay honor to its Latin-American heritage.
Frescos Naturales is offered at Boulder area cafés, restaurants, and delis, as well as online at drinkfrescos.com. Customers have the option of purchasing a mixed six-pack to sample all the flavors or a single-flavor six-pack.
Who is the founder of Frescos Naturales?
Juan resides in Boulder, Colorado, which explains why many of his drinks can be purchased at local stores in Boulder and other small towns around Colorado. He appears to be an outgoing and sociable individual. In October 2021, Juan brought Frescos Naturales to the Naturally Boulder Pitch Slam. He came in with boundless zest and won the entire pitch slam tournament! However, his entrepreneurial drive does not begin and end with Frescos Naturales. In 2015, Juan also founded "Green Belly Foods," a Colorado-based line of premium hot sauces and salsas. Since then, he has been selling his traditional Guatemalan spicy sauces at about 200 farmers' markets each year.
Juan appears to be 37 years old and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Studies and Media Production. Juan previously worked in the media and film industries for almost 14 years, first as an assistant editor intern for Crispin Porter and Bogustky, then as a media arts director and teacher for the Latin American Center for Arts, Science, and Education, and lastly as a producer for Grove Street Media. After leaving his role as a producer, he founded his own company, Green Belly Foods, in 2015. Frescos Naturales began in December 2020. Juan was featured in 5280 Magazine about sharing classic dishes with a modern touch. The book was aptly titled "Recipe for Success."
What is the cost and where to buy Frescos Naturales from?
A six-pack of Frescos Naturales costs $19.99. Juan sells straight to consumers, as well as at several tiny mom-and-pop cafés and businesses around Colorado. He's probably looking for a Shark's assistance in breaking into large grocery stores. It’s also available for sale online at drinkfrescos.com.
Where is Frescos Naturales now?
Juan grew up in La Antigua, Guatemala, sipping agua frescas made from fruit such as pineapple, hibiscus, and tamarind. After recognizing that there was an untapped market for canned aguas frescas, he began selling the traditional drinks in marketplaces, but he believed he could go bigger. He intended to create a sparkling agua fresca, even though they are traditionally uncarbonated. Juan began self-distributing cans of fizzy agua frescas in late 2020. He began with one flavor, the Rosa de Jamaica, and roamed the streets of Boulder, "like preaching the gospel," as he puts it, persuading restaurants and stores to try this new drink. Tamarindo (tamarind) and maracuyá (passion fruit) came shortly after.
Juan's Frescos Naturales now come in six other flavors, including piña (pineapple), guayaba (guava), and mango. He also intends to create non-carbonated versions in glass bottles to accentuate the beverages' lovely natural hues. Juan also wants to create more complex dishes using tastes prominent in Peru, Argentina, and Guatemala. He claims that the possibilities are limitless.
Juan wanted to make his items stand out with their packaging. The cans are as colorful as the beverages within, with eye-catching patterns in pink, green, orange, and purple that showcase each taste. The labels are written in Spanish as well, with the English translation underneath in smaller letters. Everything is intended to appeal to a populace that grew up with the drinks, while still being approachable to interested newcomers.
Frescos Naturales similarly maintains its ingredient list to a minimum, with each drink consisting of fruit, citric acid, carbonated water, and cane sugar. Stewart uses high-quality fruit from all over the globe and uses a light hand with the sugar—he compares it to sprinkling salt on your eggs; you only need a little to bind everything together. The end product is a very delicious, fruity drink with just a trace of sweetness.
Juan took part in Naturally Boulder's 17th annual Pitch Slam in October 2021. The competitive 'Shark Tank'-style event allowed new and developing firms to present their brands, and Frescos was awarded first place by the judges.
The reward includes a free booth at Natural Products Expo East 2022 as well as a guaranteed spot in the Expo East Pitch Slam. Juan is already seeing success, with Frescos Naturales being sold by Local Foods and other prospects on the horizon. Juan is still concerned about his future and knows how to hustle to keep his business afloat.
"We’re overjoyed, I’ve had my sights on this competition since before I started selling this year," Juan stated. "We’re working seven days a week these days: selling at farmers markets on weekends, and looking for and setting up new accounts Monday through Friday. Wherever there’s a cooler selling kombucha, sparkling waters, or yerba mate, make room for Frescos!"
Who will steal the deal?
Juan will pitch the company's prospects for development to a panel of five Sharks. He'll have to persuade Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, and Guest Shark Daniel Lubetzky that the firm is worth an investment from the Sharks. A decent business plan, good financials, and sales statistics will impress the Sharks, but he must also demonstrate his ability to operate the firm to "Shark Standards."
'Shark Tank' Season 14, Episode 12 airs on ABC on Friday, January 20, 2023, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like Brass Roots, Frescos Naturales, Nopalera, and Nutr.
Missed an episode? Been wanting to catch up? Episodes can also be viewed the following day on demand and on Hulu. Not just that, you can also watch old seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.