How Rush Bowls Stands Out: A Commitment to Quality and Health

Intro: Coming to you live from the Business RadioX studio. It’s Franchise Marketing Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Franchise Marketing Radio. And this is going to be a good one. Today we have the CEO, I believe, of Rush Bowls. Andrew, welcome. Are you the CEO?

Andrew Pudalov: Thank you. It’s great to be on your show today. And yeah, I’m the founder.

Lee Kantor: I knew you were the founder. So tell us, for folks who aren’t familiar, tell us a little bit about Rush Bowls.

Andrew Pudalov: So I started a company about 21 years ago. We were doing bowls before anyone really even knew what a bowl was. And we really focused on health and wellness. So our products are no sorbets, no added sugars, no junk. It’s fruit and vegetables customizable to the needs of the consumer. And healthy meals on the go. Very focused on bowls. 80% of our sales are bowls and smoothies. But we’re not distracted by sandwiches, salads, and we’re the best in the business of doing bowls and smoothies and very diverse flavor. We do green tea, we do chai, we do detox, we do high end bowls and smoothies. These are meals to go also.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? Were you always involved in health and wellness or franchising?

Andrew Pudalov: No, I have a I have a dynamic backstory. I was global head of derivatives fixed income trading in New York City. I was taking massive positions on behalf of the banks and trading that according to how I felt the market was going to move in a particular time or trend. And nine over 11 happens. I was living in New York City with my wife on nine over 11. We had two kids at the time. One was two and the other was just born. And it was my wife’s first day of maternity. Nine over 11. Previously, most people don’t realize they bombed the towers in New York City twice. She was in the tower in 93 the first time they bombed it and luckily escaped and got out. And nine over 11, she was in the 20s. I was in Midtown. She literally saw the plane crash in and it was really catastrophic and life changing for us. I lost one of my good friends jump, and I realized right then, we’re gonna uproot and move to Boulder, and I was going to start a company, which is never easy. And hindsight is 2020, but it was something I really wanted to do, and I was lucky. It was pretty successful, what I did previously. So it afforded me the opportunity to try something very different and in a different place. So thank goodness it all worked out. But uh, but it was quite, quite an interesting time back then.

Lee Kantor: So you you uproot your family from the big city and move to, you know, a different environment, Colorado, in Colorado. And then you’re it becomes rush bowls like a go. Or was there kind of an evolution to get to where Rush Bowls is?

Andrew Pudalov: It really was a go, I would say.

Lee Kantor: So you had this idea before, like you can’t just flip a switch and all of a sudden now you’re in the bowl business like you were you thinking? So, so you didn’t know anything about bowls or mixing or have a recipe or like any inclination?

Andrew Pudalov: Well, the only thing I had a buddy, to be fair, in, uh, in Arizona, he owned a juice bar. So I was kind of talking to him for a bit, and I was like, oh, maybe I’ll license something and I’ll start it here. He didn’t want to do bowls, and I thought the opportunity was bowls. So I kind of did my whole concept based on bowls. So.

Lee Kantor: So where did you come up with bowls like?

Andrew Pudalov: I am a big texture guy and I wanted a meal, so I didn’t want to be a smoothie company back then. I think Jamba Juice had some footing. Actually. Not anymore, obviously, but back then it was one of the core brands, and I actually looked at smoothies and I didn’t really want to do a smoothie business. I wanted to do something that was really meal focused, that had texture, that had were really, truly health and wellness, and that really started with me. So I developed a menu based on a lot of not just acai, everyone just does acai. We were always very diversified power, which was, you know, blueberries, raspberries, raspberry, blueberry, raspberry, oats, um, a milk based coconut, almond, whatever milk you wanted. But we were always um, and whey protein. So we were always really figuring out flavor sets, and I had a very diversified flavor set within the bowl menu and same thing within the smoothie menu. And most of those items are still most of those things are still on the menu actually.

Lee Kantor: So so in your mind you were like, okay, smoothies, this straw, that’s fine. But I want something with a spoon. I want it to, you know, have more substance. And then you just started experimenting with different, uh, fruits and ingredients to come up with the bowls.

Andrew Pudalov: Yeah. And just, you know, I came from an environment that I was extremely mathematical, but I’m a creative guy. I like creativity, so it afforded me some of the creativity. And I have a good palate, obviously. So. And then after that, realistically, it was really customer feedback. So we had a menu and like, hey, do you like this? Don’t you like this? And really being there every day and really learning from the consumer what they were looking for and fairly early on. I knew right away that this was going to be something because people wanted this meal. They wanted a healthy, nutritious meal, um, that was not super heavy, but was filling. Filling. And we started attracting all these incredible Olympic athletes that came in because they could couldn’t go to a lot of these other places. They could only have our bowls and smoothies because we were the real deal. As we continue to be.

Lee Kantor: And you’re in the belly of the beast, where there’s a lot of athletic people in that part of the country.

Andrew Pudalov: Yes. And as people became more and more knowledgeable about bowls, we had more the general population really came in and really accepted it. And to this day, you know, when people figure out there’s a lot of pretenders out there doing, doing bowls with, you know, sorbets or sugars and this and that, we are still very pure product. So we don’t add add a lot of, we don’t put any junk in your bowl or smoothie. We always say, but, um, it’s really a more nutritious. Healthier tasting, you know, to get those sugar highs and lows with our products. And that’s why it’s still so popular.

Lee Kantor: Now, before you went to brick and mortar, did you, like, go test this at, like, farmers markets and those kind of festivals or you just went strong. You just went and say, hey, we’re building this out and this is the brand, and we’re going boldly forward here.

Andrew Pudalov: Yes. You know, you know, like I said, hindsight’s 2020, but we didn’t I, I, I never thought of failure at all. And I always had to and I think my background of being a big trader for the banks, um, I always had a bet on myself anyway, so I never thought about, hey, this won’t work or second guess myself. Um, listen, there’s times you always have to second guess yourself and and but I didn’t really focus on that. I focused on, hey, how do I make this work? And if it’s not working, how do I pivot or create something a little more? Uh, uh, a little slightly different. Uh, and fortuitously, you know, a lot of it’s luck to, um, people like the brand and they still love the brand. And we continue to grow, um, as a healthy, a truly healthy alternative to what’s out there. And bulls got more and more popular, become more mainstream. And now people are really focused on, you know, what’s the differences. And that only helps us because we’re the only really, truly one of the very few, only truly healthy, delicious bowls out there. Most are sugar and junk.

Lee Kantor: So now, um, was it always when you started this? The intention was always to franchise?

Andrew Pudalov: No, actually. So in 2010, I launched a wholesale company. Um, and we were in 40 states with Whole Foods. We were in regions with Costco, HEB with a frozen form of a bull. Um, and Fortunately, our Co-packer six and roughly six years later went out of business overnight and he stored our product and we couldn’t even get into us and 12 other brands, actually, um, couldn’t get any product. So it kind of killed that. At the time, uh, someone was convincing me to get into franchising, which I always put off because franchising is, I think, for a customer or for a person looking to get into a business I think is incredible. But as an owner, franchising is tough because, as they say, no one runs your store quite like you would want to run the store. Now, um, we’ve learned so many different things in franchising and and can get that down that they do run the store the way you want to run the store. But it was, uh, ominous to me initially to get into franchising. And I launched in 2016, um, uh, basically nine years ago, the the start of this franchise model for Russia.

Lee Kantor: So the prior to that, you did you have just one store in Colorado or you had several stores?

Andrew Pudalov: No. One store.

Lee Kantor: So one store.

Andrew Pudalov: In 2016, I opened another store just to verify that the franchise model in Denver. So we two stores and I knew the wholesale company. So I was very confident that we could go from there.

Lee Kantor: And then did you, um, figure it out on your own, or did you hire consultants to help you expand?

Andrew Pudalov: Yeah. No, we you know, by then we brought in a team that had experience with franchising from the franchising side, and we hired a company to help us franchise and sell franchises. Um, at that juncture, which later on we took in-house. But, uh, you know, we put a hefty team in to make sure we were doing it right. You know, franchising from a franchisor perspective, it’s very, you know, there’s a lot a ton of legal work. You got to have your processes down. Um, your organization. One thing I’m really super proud about, Rush bowls is very, very organized. And our depth of portal, which has every part of what to do or whatever else, um, is extremely involved, very detailed. So anyone really the objective can understand and open a store. Um, matter of fact, we had a franchisee from subway and said, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life from any other concepts I’ve been doing. Um, and that’s why he, you know, joined us. So I believe in really giving people real details. And on top of that, with Rush Bowls, a lot of the people in the franchising have run the stores. So one of my managers 11 years ago had sales for us. One of my managers, you know, 6 or 6 years ago had two operations for us. So they are youthful, yet they’re very knowledgeable. And that’s a long list of other people that I have, uh, that that have real practical experience on a store level and can give you answers, but also, you know, have experience, broader experience too. So we have pretty experienced team. We have old people like myself and young people. So it’s a great mix from the corporate side of things.

Lee Kantor: Now, obviously being a franchisor is a different business than operating a Rush Bowl store. Um, do you enjoy it as much as it is rewarding? Because, I mean, it’s a different thing.

Andrew Pudalov: Well, you know, I like doing I like doing a lot of different things. So I still own the original store. 21 years ago. I was there actually this morning talking to the staff and not there that often, but I was there today. Um, I like them both. I like doing a lot of different things. I like, you know, uh, I like the customer interaction. I always like that, uh, I like creating new products. I have a team that I work with on that specifically. And then, you know, it’s it’s just different. I like, you know, I like my hands in a lot of different things. Um, we’re going to launch a CPG, uh, in 2026. Some products too. So I like that too. It’s, you know, I always laugh that, um, other than sharing a name, they’re dynamically different businesses, from a retail store to a franchisor to CPG consumer products, you know, in like a retail grocery or wherever they share the name, but they’re dynamically different businesses with different tasks and different needs. And that’s fun for me. Uh, and I really enjoy that.

Lee Kantor: Now, how do you see franchising as a way to building wealth compared to what you were doing in New York City?

Andrew Pudalov: Well, I think New York City is a very dynamically Different wealth building, um, you know, uh, wealth building in New York. I was a professional gambler for the bank, basically. And I would take, you know, big positions because I felt the market, if I was wrong, I’d be out of a job. I did it for 15 years, and I was lucky. I was right more than I was wrong. And like a professional gambler, if you’re right, 58% of the time you’re stellar. If you’re right 50% of the time, or 52% of the job, you’re out of a job, right? So you know where you fit in. I think franchising is paint by numbers. So I think if you’re if I was to start another business, I would only do a franchise business because building something from scratch is inherently so difficult. So I so believe in the franchise model. Listen, I think there’s great models and I think there’s some that are not as good as others. But on the whole, I think franchising is an incredible business model. And for me, if I was to buy a business, I would be a franchisee.

Lee Kantor: So what is kind of the ideal franchisee look like for Rush Bowls? Do you want somebody that is going to be in the store, or is this something that can be managed by other people, like what is that ideal franchisee look like for you?

Andrew Pudalov: Well, first, first of all, they have to have business acumen and willing to reach the community. If you just want to sit back on a desk, that’s not the job, right? Um, but what is the job is, hey, I want to be part of the community. I want to serve them health and wellness and, and and I want to have a incredible brand that I can be part of a team. Um, what I feel what we look for is a business acumen, be we recommend for the first year that they are in the store, working the store at some capacity. Um, we feel that provide the greatest success. By being there and understanding it, you can manage it significantly better. We don’t mandate it, we strongly encourage it, and we are pretty selective. We turn a lot of people down, um, that may not fit what we’re looking for, but really hands on people. I would say, um, want to reach the community. Like I said earlier, business acumen, but also want to be there, want to be a part of Rush Bowls. And then as you open more stores or as you’re there a year, it’s easier to you can be not there very often, but certainly the first year we strongly encourage people to be there.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you want, um, kind of the empire builder that wants multiple territories or do you want the onesie 2Z3Z person?

Andrew Pudalov: Well, I think the Empire Builder is is generally more preferred, but we have plenty of onesies. Twosies. I think it’s um, I think it depends on the circumstance, the Location. We’re also unusual. I viewed this as a national brand right away. So we’re in 24 states. As most companies like us build up in regionally, very local because they can get suppliers. I knew how to do supply side right away, so I really wanted to be national. So we’re a national brand. So it depends. We want some builders that, hey, maybe in a state that we’re not in and want to build it and and build it extensively, but like we may have ones twos or threes, we have a lot of threes, um, that are, you know, there say in Colorado and most of Colorado is taken. They want to build it here. Um and like great. That’s fantastic. You know so or somewhere else. So it really I think we don’t go in it into it as, hey, there’s a master builder or a onesie. Twosie it’s really a personality how they look at the business, how they’re going to run the business. So we want stores that are run well and we try and do our best to really help facilitate that and pick the right people.

Lee Kantor: Well, it sounds like you’ve invested a lot of time and energy in the supply chain portion of this. And as well as the kind of operationally making it simple. Um, is that kind of set you apart as well?

Andrew Pudalov: Yes. Because, you know, I really understand the dynamics of math behind it and the finance. So it was really focused on it’s a really hard cut formula. You know, cost of goods is X, labor is Y. Rents should be in this range. So you really fundamentally have to have a really set formulaic equation of hey, it should do y. Right. Um, and it I think as long as you target those things, um, you we do our best to help you become successful.

Lee Kantor: Accessible now. Um. What are you seeing? If you look in your crystal ball when it comes to kind of health and wellness and the trends in that space, uh, in the near future, is this something that’s just going to keep going? Like, there’s obviously a push now, uh, you know, against the super ultra processed foods. Um, is this just kind of, uh, it’s just going to be more of that moving forward?

Andrew Pudalov: I think, uh, and I really appreciate what’s going on. A that only speaks to our strength. As I stated a little earlier, we’re really hardcore health and wellness without being preachy. So, um, our products, the flow of the people are coming more and more focused on what’s in their products that only we that only helps us strength wise because we don’t adulterate. We’re not sorbets. A lot of people use these sorbets. A lot of our competitors are sorbets because it’s cheap product. It’s some I know don’t even have fruit in it. It’s a color dye and a flavoring and and gums and sugar. So we actually use real fruit like you have fruit or iqf vegetables. We don’t do sorbets or anything like that. People are aware of that and people are getting smarter and smarter about it. So I think that only helps us. Um, you know, like I said, you have the real guys. I’ve been here 21 years. Probably the one, if not the first to the bowl business, one of the early ones. And we have an adulterated our products, nor will we. So I think that focus of purity of ingredients, people will be more and more attuned to it. And we’re seeing that, hey, I can’t I can’t even eat that product because your product is so much better. Like we grind our own peanut butter in the store. So we take unsalted, granulated peanuts, make our own peanut butter. No oils, no junk. We make our own jams in store for peanut butter and jelly bowl, which has chia seeds as a thickener. So it’s really, you know, delicious. Now, if you want Nutella on top, we have Nutella too. And we’ll say, hey, we’ll put Nutella. It’s not great for you, but if you want it on. Mm. It’s fantastic. Enjoy. Um, but our base, our core product is super, super healthy.

Lee Kantor: Now, what about the, um, maybe kind of the definition of a bowl being expanded to things like a burrito bowl or with meats and things like that? Is that on the roadmap or is that something you’re staying? You’re going to stay in your lane here?

Andrew Pudalov: Um, I’m going to stay away from that. Uh, at this juncture, we’re, you know, we just did a big, um, collaboration with La Colombe, which for a cold brew coffee, uh, with. And they’re owned by Chobani. Um, so we’re doing different collaborations with partners. But, you know, I don’t want to be everything to everyone. I want to be the best, which we are in the bowl business and smoothie business with complementary goods, but I don’t want to be everything to everyone. I never went into a deli for the most part and said the salad is the best salad I ever had. That’s not our business model. So it’s really focused on, you know, smaller. We’re generally smaller square footage. 30 to 60% of our business is takeout or delivery. Uh, and it’s really being, you know, high end yet really functional without, you know, being crazy priced. Um, so anyone can have our bowls and smoothies. Uh, and, uh, that’s how as, as far as you know, I’m the CEO and founder, so we’re not. I own everything, we’re not private equity that I have to get a return in or sell the company in 2 or 3 years. That’s not my objective. Long term success is is my objective, which is rare these days in this day and age. Um, and that’s what makes us so special.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have a substantive conversation with you or somebody on your team, what is the best way to connect?

Andrew Pudalov: Sure, you can always go to rush rush. Rush.com and hit on franchising. Or we have JD at rush Bulls.com he heads franchise sales, John David at Rush Bulls.com. Um, and uh, yeah, we we love great partners and we’re growing every day. We have 20 some odd stores open uh, this year into next. So, uh, that have signed leases. So we’re busy Beavers.

Lee Kantor: Good for you. Congratulations on all the success.

Andrew Pudalov: And thank you for for the podcast I appreciate it. Great being on your show.

Lee Kantor: All right. Well, this is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Franchise Marketing Radio.