Like true entrepreneurs, Brock Snider and Joe Ferderbar have hundreds of business ideas floating around their minds. Cigar tourism, virtual assistants, graphic design niches–they can go on for hours.
Their most fruitful business idea so far, though, is their health food stand, Oola Bowls, an idea that came to both Brock and Joe separately within the span of two weeks. The duo was vacationing on opposite sides of the country a few years ago when they experienced something that would change their lives.
Joe was in California looking for some breakfast when a friend recommended trying an açai bowl.
Brock, on the other side of the country in Delaware, was met with the same suggestion from his friends.
Both, with low expectations, decided to give the bowls a shot and were blown out of the water with how something so healthy could taste so good. It was while on these separate trips that they knew they had to bring açai bowls to Lancaster.
“Lancaster seems to be picking up on a lot of trendier food things and—knowing that açai bowls can be gluten-free, dairy-free—it really perked my interest a lot,” says Joe.
Brock always found it hard to come by fast, healthy foods in downtown Lancaster, where he was working at the time. “For a quick meal, where you could get in and out in fifteen minutes, there weren’t any healthy options,” says Brock.
Açai berries, pronounced ah-sah-EE, are a superfood containing amino acids which help to promote muscle performance, energy production, endurance, and strength, according to Oola Bowls’ founders.
“There’s a million business ideas, but it’s something that we both feel that we can support and get behind long-term,” says Joe.
“It’s something we believe in,” Brock adds.
The berries, similar in appearance to grapes, are harvested from açai palm trees in South American rainforests.
Brock and Joe spent countless nights trying to perfect the açai base for their Oola Bowls. Their winning concoction was a thick, sorbet-like blend. To top the açai base, you can pick from a variety of fresh fruits, seeds, and other toppings like homemade granola and peanut butter.
Their eponymous Oola Bowl starts with the thick açai base, then adds a layer of Grandma’s Granola; a drizzle of peanut butter; and a colorful spread of bananas, strawberries and blueberries. It is topped off with a sprinkle of coconut flakes and chia seeds.
Brock admits that the names of the superfoods on their menu can be intimidating, with ingredients like pitaya, paçoca, and of course açai. When titling the business, the duo wanted to make sure the name was simple and could be used interchangeably with the hard-to-pronounce words. Brock stumbled upon the word “oola” after hearing it on the street. After some research, he found that it means “awesomeness,” and their name was born.
Both Joe and Brock agree that the most rewarding part of starting their business is the people they’ve been able to work with along the way. “We’ve been blessed to have a lot of good help,” Brock says.
Brock’s grandma makes the granola and his dad builds all of their stands. Joe’s wife manages Oola’s social media and his dad is their business mentor. Some of Brock’s childhood friends have become full-time employees at the company.
“You spend the majority of your life at work,” says Brock, “and it’s pretty cool to be able to work with people you’ve grown up with and friends that you are going to be friends with regardless.”
Oola Bowls has checked off many bucket list items for Joe and Brock, like starting a business from scratch and getting approved for a stand at the Lancaster Central Market, which catapulted them to where they are now.
“We were both giddy when we got a stand in Central Market. We just thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Joe remembers. Now, Oola Bowls has three market locations in the Lancaster Central Market, Lancaster Marketplace, and the Market at The Wilbur.
“I think it’s fun to meet all these small business owners. It’s one of my favorite parts about being at market...all of the small business community and just trying to help each other get going,” Brock says.
The team hopes to keep expanding, but without ever leaving their roots in Lancaster County markets. One day, they even hope to franchise.
“What’s better than starting your own business? Being able to help others start their own business,” Joe says.
Oola Bowls
Lancaster Marketplace 2084 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA
Lancaster Central Market 23 N. Market Street, Lancaster, PA
Market at the Wilbur 48 PA-501, Lititz, PA
