We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Josiah Candelaria. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Josiah below.

Josiah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Coming from athletics and my passion for delicious tasting food I always seem to gravitate towards local food trucks in my city of Orlando Fl. On a trip back home to Puerto Rico I ran into my first ever açaí bowl and I was completely blown away by the dish. Shortly after my trip I was surely craving one of these bowls and quickly found out there was a huge shortfall for not only açaí but vegan fare as a whole. The light bulb quickly went off! I married the 2 passions for food trucks and açaí and embarked on my Purple Ocean Superfood Bar journey. The real question was how can I be different? Yes I had a unique product but I also wanted to tie in my personal values and continue to be purposeful while also continuing to service my community. Today Purple Ocean Superfood Bar is a community driven fast casual restaurant focusing on clean and healthy eating through superfoods without compromising our Puerto Rican roots.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

It all started from before I was born. My family has a deep history in service from running rehabilitation centers to working hand and hand in their respective communities which gave me the opportunity to see discipline, perseverance and faith first hand. When community and relationships is your focus food just comes added no matter what. Gathering at the round table was a common occurrence! I adopted these values as my own growing up but more importantly I’ll never forget when my father once told me “There’s nothing like working for yourself”. Combining all these traits I understood early on I’d take on the entrepreneurial road for my future. Purple Ocean Superfood Bar is a direct representation of my family and I; from the Puerto Rican inspired food to the design of our spaces. Its a little piece of Puerto Rico in Orlando Florida and that’s another reason we set apart from all others. Experience is at the top of our priority when visiting one of our locations.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media marketing plays a huge role in the growth of Purple Ocean Superfood Bar. Collaboration is the new currency which means I am always intentional with seeking collaborations that are mutually beneficial. Partnering with brands that align with mine growing our window of exposure. Aside from a logo slogan and unique hashtag another piece of advise I can give is to continue to tell your story so that customers can connect with your branding. Relatability is key!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The best pivot I made very early on in my business was focusing from the customer to the employee. Why you ask? Your employee takes care of your customer. Simple and effective but often overlooked.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.purpleoceansfb.com
• Instagram: @purpleoceansuperfoodbar
• Facebook: @purpleoceansuperfoodbar
• Twitter: @purpleoceansfb
• Youtube: @purpleoceansuperfoodbar
• Yelp: @purpleoceansuperfoodbar
• Other: Tik tok: @purpleoceansfb