This Sacramento smoothie company has a twist: It sells only one kind of smoothie

Irene Milanez
·6 min read

When Brady and Marzi Bisgaard moved to Sacramento from Hawaii three years ago, they carried more than just their luggage. They brought a business model and a recipe to their new home with Green Smoothie Co.

Green Smoothie Co. sells only one kind of smoothie at farmers markets from Folsom to Sacramento to Napa, with bottled versions sold at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

“We get customers from Hawaii that say, ‘This tastes like the one on Oahu,’” Brady Bisgaard said. “It’s the same blend, same ingredients.”

Green Smoothie Co. co-owner Brady Bisgaard offers free samples at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on July 27.
Green Smoothie Co. co-owner Brady Bisgaard offers free samples at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on July 27.

Bisgaard credits the concept to his friend Troy Yasuda, owner of smoothie company Oma’o Man in Oahu, Hawaii. Originally offering a variety of flavors, Yasuda consolidated to selling the most popular choice among his customers: the green smoothie.

After months of helping out with the stand, Bisgaard asked to open an Oma’o Man in California. However, Yasuda preferred to avoid the complications of franchising and instead gave the Bisgaards the green light to replicate the idea in Sacramento. Though the recipe is unchanged, Green Smoothie Co. sources some ingredients locally.

Natalie Gonzalez, left, Robert Gonzalez and their daughter Ellie, 3, purchase a drink from Green Smoothie Co. at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on July 27.
Natalie Gonzalez, left, Robert Gonzalez and their daughter Ellie, 3, purchase a drink from Green Smoothie Co. at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on July 27.

“We only have seven ingredients. Five greens, two fruits and then water and ice. It’s always the exact same,” Bisgaard said. The blend includes spinach, kale, baby bok choy, romaine, mint, mango and banana.

While tropical fruits must be bought from the store, Bisgaard purchases as much as he can from local farmers. For the Midtown Farmers Market on Saturdays, this involves arriving early to gather leafy greens from Narci Organic Farms before the market opens.

“At the end of the day, we help bring clientele to each other. I think that’s the best thing we can do,” Yesenia Lopez, Narci Organic Farms farmer, said about her relationship with Bisgaard’s business.

Returning customer Terry Luedtke purchases smoothie refill from Green Smoothie Co. at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on Saturday, July 27, 2024.
Returning customer Terry Luedtke purchases smoothie refill from Green Smoothie Co. at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

Bisgaard said he also tries to source vegetables with year-round availability, like kale and romaine, from different farmers monthly. “It’s revolving to as many farms we can support as possible,” Bisgaard said.

The newly bought greens are washed and joined with the pre-prepared fruits and vegetables. The setup is simple: large bins of fresh produce and two Vitamix blenders.

Brady Bisgaard washes organic kale purchased at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Bisgaard buys smoothie ingredients from local produce vendors at the market every week.
Brady Bisgaard washes organic kale purchased at the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Bisgaard buys smoothie ingredients from local produce vendors at the market every week.

“We make it to order pretty much on site and it’s really refreshing,” Bisgaard said.

For Sacramento residents who can’t make it to the farmers markets, the smoothie is available in limited quantities at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op for $8.

The 16-ounce bottle of Green Smoothie Co. vegetable and fruit smoothie blend is available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.
The 16-ounce bottle of Green Smoothie Co. vegetable and fruit smoothie blend is available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

Because Green Smoothie Co. does not pasteurize, Bisgaard makes small batches of 45-50 smoothies, hand-pouring and sealing each bottle. Bisgaard said he avoids pasteurization because it alters the drink’s consistency.

“There’s always limited stock (at the Co-op), which is good because it drives people to go,” Bisgaard said. “But also it limits us on where we can expand.”

Bottles of vegetable and fruit smoothie blend from Green Smoothie Co. are displayed at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op earlier this month. Labels next to the price indicate the product is local to California and a staff pick.
Bottles of vegetable and fruit smoothie blend from Green Smoothie Co. are displayed at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op earlier this month. Labels next to the price indicate the product is local to California and a staff pick.

Bisgaard said he hopes success at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op will help jump-start selling Green Smoothie Co. bottles at Nugget Markets and eventually Whole Foods.

Green Smoothie Co. can be found in Sacramento twice a week, Wednesdays at Capitol Mall Certified Farmers’ Market and Saturdays at Midtown Farmers Market. A 16-ounce smoothie costs $8 and a 32-ounce smoothie costs $14 in a refillable glass jar.

What I’m Eating

Hello Temaki sets itself apart from other Japanese restaurants by its dedication to crafting hand rolls. Co-owner Feng Liang said she sought out its location on Laguna Springs Drive in Elk Grove because it is a highly populated area where customers could grab a quick bite.

The restaurant is owned by Larry Hoang, Ann Le Hoang and Liang, who also co-owns Umai Bar & Grill in Elk Grove. “We really wanted to introduce this new concept in Elk Grove. Hand rolls are very trendy in Japan,” Liang said.

The restaurant’s interior is cool gray and accented with sleek, classic oak paneling that runs along the walls and over the sushi bar. The bar dominates the restaurant’s center with a seating capacity of over twenty customers, while smaller tables offer a more intimate dining experience.

Hello Temaki’s menu is a celebration of temaki or hand rolls. I ordered the set of five hand rolls ($36): salmon, spicy tuna, yuzu negihama, kanpachi and escolar. Unlike most sushi places that create cone-shaped hand rolls, Hello Temaki serves open-faced rolls so customers can see the ingredients easily. “We eat with our eyes first right?” Liang said.

A set of five hand rolls is ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. The set includes hand rolls containing salmon, spicy tuna, yellowtail, kanpachi and escolar.
A set of five hand rolls is ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. The set includes hand rolls containing salmon, spicy tuna, yellowtail, kanpachi and escolar.
An escolar hand roll is ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. The hand roll comes with seared escolar, garlic and micro cilantro on rice.
An escolar hand roll is ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. The hand roll comes with seared escolar, garlic and micro cilantro on rice.

The salmon hand roll, filled with fresh chunks of salmon topped with chili crisps and pickled wasabi, is an easy crowd-pleaser. However, the kanpachi stood out to me with fresh yellowtail accompanied by a crunchy mixture of shiso, ginger and red onions.

The yuzu negihama is a refreshing bite of hamachi cut through with yuzu kosho, a fermented paste of chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt. The escolar is seared gently providing a smoky flavor to the butterfish, sprinkled with toasted garlic and the spicy tuna’s smooth filling is complemented by crisp cucumber.

The furikake fries ($6) were an expected triumph. Furikake is a savory Japanese seasoning blend of dried fish, sesame seeds and chopped seaweed that is typically sprinkled over rice. It just makes sense showered over fries and paired with a creamy soy ginger aioli.

The uni toast ($26 for two) is an absolutely outrageous menu item. Buttery-rich uni paired with bluefin toro, the fatty belly meat of the tuna, is served on toasted baguette slices smothered in truffle aioli. Finished off with gold leaf and microgreens, it is equally visually appealing and indulgent.

Furikake fries are ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt, typically sprinkled over rice.
Furikake fries are ready to serve at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt, typically sprinkled over rice.
The Hokkaido uni toast prepared at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. Truffle aioli, Japanese sea urchin and fatty tuna is served on baguette slices.
The Hokkaido uni toast prepared at Hello Temaki in Elk Grove last week. Truffle aioli, Japanese sea urchin and fatty tuna is served on baguette slices.

Hello Temaki

Address: 9261 Laguna Springs Drive, Suite 150, Elk Grove

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Phone: (916) 775-6826

Website: https://www.hellotemaki.org/

Drinks: Sake, beer, wine and cocktails

Vegetarian options: Tempura fried garlic string beans, avocado and mushroom hand roll, kaiware misozuke (marinated daikon stem) hand roll

Noise level: Quiet

Outdoor seating: No

Openings & Closings

▪ 85ºC Bakery Cafe announced the grand opening on Aug. 16 of its Rancho Cordova location at 11009 Olson Drive #708. The cafe is currently soft opened, according to a social media post. 85ºC is a Tawainese international bakery chain selling coffee, cakes and desserts, like egg tarts and Hokkaido custard buns.

▪ Costa Vida has closed its Rancho Cordova location at 10831-B Olson Drive indicated by an available-for-lease sign on the building, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Costa Vida is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain that serves Baja-style tacos & burritos.

▪ Family-style Italian restaurant chain Buca Di Beppo closed its Sacramento location at 1249 Howe Ave. after 25 years of service, according to The Sacramento Bee.