9 Healthy Beverage Business Success Stories [2024]
The rise of health-conscious consumers has created a ripe opportunity for a healthy beverage business. Imagine crafting a line of drinks using natural ingredients that promote wellness, from antioxidant-packed teas to revitalizing smoothies.
Starting this venture involves more than just concocting recipes. You’ll need to source high-quality, organic ingredients and ensure that your production methods meet health and safety standards. Branding and marketing are crucial; your beverages need to stand out in a crowded market. Social media platforms and local health fairs can be valuable for promotion and customer engagement.
Although the initial investment in premium ingredients and marketing might be substantial, the growing demand for nutritious options provides a promising return. If you’re passionate about health and have an entrepreneurial spirit, this is an exciting avenue to explore.
In this list, you'll find real-world healthy beverage business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a healthy beverage business that makes money.
1. Plum Deluxe Tea ($900K/year)
Andy Hayes, the founder of Plum Deluxe, started off with a blog and a desire for a more fulfilling career. After generating traffic and revenue through display ads and affiliate relationships, Andy decided to launch his own product. Drawing on his love for tea and missing the flavors from Europe, he partnered with a tea farmer's market booth to create unique tea blends. Through launching his business with a built-in market and strategic marketing efforts, Plum Deluxe has grown to become one of the largest tea subscription boxes, on track to hit 7-figure annual revenue.
How much money it makes: $900K/year
How many people on the team: 7
How Andy Hayes built a 7-figure online loose leaf tea business, with one of the largest tea subscription boxes and a curated selection of tea accessories, generating half of their revenue from a la carte tea sales and half from their popular tea of the month club community.
2. Simple Green Smoothies ($360K/year)
Jen Hansard, the co-founder of Simple Green Smoothies, came up with the idea when she stumbled upon an article about boosting the immune system with green smoothies. After experiencing the health benefits firsthand, she started sharing recipes on Instagram and her blog, which eventually turned into a successful business generating as much as $30,000 a month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Simple Green Smoothies boasts a free 7-day smoothie challenge that has helped over 2 million people take control of their health and generates revenue with programs ranging from a 21-day cleanse to a plant-based meal planner, bringing in as much as $30k a month and also working to help women farmers in Cambodia build mushroom farms through World Hope International.
3. Momentum Coffee and Coworking ($156K/year)
Tracy G. Powell and Nikki Bravo founded Momentum Coffee and Coworking in May 2020 with the goal of creating an affordable co-working space for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Chicago. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, their strong relationships with customers, intentional partnerships, and active social media presence have helped them attract and retain customers, with their revenue reaching $17-20k per month.
How much money it makes: $156K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200K
How many people on the team: 4
Chicago based Ignite Technology and Innovation-owned Momentum Coffee & Coworking, which focuses on coffee, coworking, community, and event space, rakes in about $17-20k a month in revenue, mostly from online and offline advertising, and just celebrated their first anniversary, with plans to open 2 more locations in Chicago in under-resourced communities.
4. Brine Brothers ($120K/year)
Harris Derner came up with the idea for Brine Brothers when he realized that drinking pickle juice cured his hangovers in 2015. Unable to find a drinkable pickle brine on the market, Harris and his friend Michael Belicose decided to start their own business. With a total investment of $11,000 in 2016, they now generate over $10,000 per month and have recently won an investment from Barstool and Jon Taffer, determined to make Brine Brothers a million-dollar beverage company.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $-2
How many people on the team: 0
Brine Brothers sells all-natural pickle brine (pickle juice), generating over $10,000/month and winning an investment from Barstool and Jon Taffer, and is determined to become a million-dollar beverage company.
5. VIRTUE Tea ($108K/year)
Andrea Legg and Alex Balcer, founders of VIRTUE Tea, left their careers in the circus industry to start their organic tea and matcha business. After experiencing high-grade tea while traveling in Europe, Andrea became hooked and they decided to create a business focused on quality, ethical sourcing, and minimizing environmental impact. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, their online sales have tripled and they have expanded their reach to customers across Canada and the US.
How much money it makes: $108K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2
VIRTUE Tea is a business founded by Andrea Legg and Alex Balcer who source high-grade organic tea from Asia through ethical supply chains, and their business, despite COVID, is now shipping tea and matcha to various locations in Canada and the U.S.
6. Drink Shrub ($54K/year)
Aaron Weast, the founder of Drink Shrub, came up with the idea for his business after going through treatment for alcohol addiction. He realized that there was a lack of sophisticated zero-proof beverages available for those who didn't drink alcohol. Using his background in product development and innovation, he created Small Barrel Shrub, an all-natural balsamic beverage that serves as a "mocktail in a bottle." Through networking and crowdfunding, Drink Shrub has grown its customer base and secured funding to expand its business.
How much money it makes: $54K/year
How many people on the team: 1
A former alcoholic and Nike product developer created a sophisticated zero-proof beverage called Small Barrel Shrub, which has seen tripling sales growth since a rebranding and recipe overhaul in May 2018, and has raised the majority of start-up funding via crowdfunding platform Pie Shell.
7. Pyotam ($18K/year)
Naveen Kumar, the CEO of Pyotam, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that many people were drinking acidic water, which can have potential ill effects on the body. Wanting to provide a solution, he developed alkaline water with Ayurvedic properties and launched his products in June 2021. Since then, Pyotam has gained recurring customers and positive feedback, with monthly revenue averaging around $13,000 from a customer base of 250.
How much money it makes: $18K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 2
Pyotam is India's first ayurvedic alkaline beverage brand that provides water solutions through expertise and innovation, boasting a monthly revenue averaging Rs. 1,00,000/- ($13K) from a customer base of around 250 customers having sold 1,400 bottles so far.
8. Mindful Proteins Inc. ($14.4K/year)
Sean Penrith, the CEO and co-founder of Mindful Proteins, was inspired to start the company after his personal journey with yoga, meditation, and a healthy diet transformed his life. He saw a gap in the market for clean-label protein water and decided to create TATU Protein Water, which is loaded with 15g of whey protein isolate and free from artificial ingredients and sugars. After extensive market research and positive feedback from consumers, Mindful Proteins is preparing for its first commercial production run in early 2020.
How much money it makes: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 0
Mindful Proteins co-founder shares how they developed TATU, a clean-label protein water with 15g of whey protein isolate that contains 0g of total sugars, to cater to wellness-oriented consumers looking for functional beverages and hydration; targeting yoga studios, retail, and online sales with plans to expand production and new product lines to become a $100 million company.
9. Revive Me ($6K/year)
Ryan Pfeiffer, founder of Revive Me, came up with the idea for his wellness shot company after realizing the need for a convenient and effective way to boost the immune system. As an investment banker in New York, he couldn't afford to get sick and would load up on vitamins and health drinks. After experimenting with ingredients and receiving strong validation from a friend, Ryan created a unique blend of ingredients that became his signature product. He hand-delivered bottles himself to improve customer relationships and launched his business with a soft launch in New York. Despite not being profitable yet, Ryan is focused on investing every dollar back into the business and growing his online sales.
How much money it makes: $6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $6K
How many people on the team: 0
Revive Me is a wellness shot company projected to reach $5k in sales over the coming months, providing a natural, shelf-stable drink that caters to anyone who doesn’t have time to be sick or rundown.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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