If anyone knows what a fantastic blend is, it’s Erin Downing and Kara Jordan. They’ve perfected the Blenders and Bowls menu with a diverse offering of hearty smoothies and bowls—but beyond that, they’ve mastered the challenges of running a business as best friends.
Chances are, you’ve crossed paths with Erin and Kara. Maybe you’ve caught them behind the counter at their cafe in Wanderlust Yoga, or perhaps you’ve dropped into the Westlake store and noticed one of them catching up on e-mails. You wouldn’t know it though, because this best friend duo plays it low-key—staying humble in the face of their growing success. In spite of multiple encounters and introductions, I still have to do a double-take to spot Erin, who often sports a hat.
We’re sitting at their spacious Westlake store, surrounded by natural light and buzzing high school girls who have claimed it as their hang-out spot. As I inquire further about their friendship, I come to find out that this is a different kind of love story—a platonic love story. Erin and Kara met in the 7th grade and hit it off immediately. They’ve had an unmatched bond ever since. Despite putting the Pacific Ocean between them during college years—with Erin at California State University in Chico and Kara at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu—nothing could interpose their friendship.
Erin and Kara would only stay apart for so long, though. Once they finished school, Erin moved out to Hawaii to reunite with her BFF. The two women shared a cozy apartment in Oahu until they were ready for another move: Austin. “I don’t remember who brought it up first, but a year later we made the decision to do it. I don’t remember talking too much about it, but just agreeing on it,” says Kara.
Surprisingly, this is how they handle most decisions—and it works. They reveal that most business conversations happened on their couch over a glass or two of wine. And when asked about divvying the responsibilities, Erin says, “It’s weird, we never had a full conversation where we decided ‘you do this, and I do that.’ The tasks have just been naturally divided.” The Santa Barbara natives attribute the strength of their brand to this attitude and their casual Californian confidence. “Good vibes, laid back. If, behind the scenes, it wasn’t like that, it’d be harder to translate that into what we’re trying to do,” Kara says.
The idea to start a business based around acai bowls—a thick smoothie-like Hawaiian staple that’s typically topped with fruit, granola, or peanut butter—came to Erin and Kara shortly after they settled in Austin in their mid-twenties. What started as a simple craving turned into a search for a remedy unfound, and ultimately led to what they considered a no-brainer. The fact that Austin is hot and its residents are active was a bonus; it’s as close to being a beach town a landlocked city could be.
The duo spent an entire month perfecting the menu—a tedious task for people who had no experience making acai bowls. They knew the three most important qualities in an acai bowl were the thickness of the blend, quality of the granola, and freshness of the ingredients. With that in mind, it took plenty of trial and error before they perfected the three bowls that would go on their flagship menu.
In July 2011, the Blenders and Bowls food truck was born. “The hardest part about the business to date has been trying to figure out how to open up a food truck. We had to jump through so many hoops with permitting,” Erin says. “Plus, we were working in such a tight space together, all the time. It made us close as business partners, but it set us up to be able to work in any situation.” Incredibly, the women swear there’s never been a blowout fight between them—even after so many years spent in close quarters together.
They finally cleared every clerical hurdle, and set their sights on what they believed was a strong niche for acai bowls: fitness events. Their first venture, The Rookie Triathlon, was indicative of their success to come. As time went on, Blenders and Bowls picked up a breakfast route where they’d deliver breakfast to start-ups and agencies around town. One cold November day, Erin and Kara had an odd encounter with some customers.
Kara still remembers it vividly. “They came with their car, bought a bowl, ate it and then came right back. They said, ‘We’re opening a yoga studio and we want to have a café in it. We love your products and we love that it’s run by two girls.’” The customers, turned out to be the driving force behind Wanderlust Yoga Austin. In true Erin-and-Kara form, they briefly discussed the offer, confirmed they were in agreement, and signed a lease at the Fourth Street location in 2012.
Fast-forward five years, when everything on the business side has undergone major changes—including a rebrand and the sale of their original food truck—but the dynamic between Erin and Kara remains unchanged. (Up until last November, they were still roommates.) They opened their own brick-and-mortar last April, just a stone’s throw away from Westlake High School, and now they’re on track to open a store on the East side of town in early 2017.
“Our No. 1 priority is still making sure the bowls are delicious. But we also care about making sure everyone else sticks to the processes we started so long ago,” Erin says. “We are both still cc’d on every email. We’re in the loop on everything so there are no surprises.”
It’s safe to say—to no surprise, of course—that this platonic love story will end happily ever after.
Gretchen Goswitz 