Wynnewood’s Peter and Stuart Shapiro are the duo behind Bleni Blends, a kiosk that dispenses all-natural, shelf-stable fruit smoothies in a variety of flavors along with two flavored iced coffees, writes J.F. Pirro for The Main Line Today.
The concept was conceived in 2019, but it truly took off after the Bala Cynwyd natives made an appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2023, resulting in 70,000 social media inquiries.
“The show definitely opened new doors and relationships, but we never closed on a deal,” said Stuart. “… From when we made the deal on the show until the finer negotiations, our business almost doubled in size. We still have great relationships with the Sharks, and we left on great terms.”
Peter, an undergraduate admissions professional, and Stuart, an attorney, are now fully focused on forging partnerships with major food companies and growing Bleni Blends in North America and overseas.
Currently, they have around 100 machines in 20 states, Canada, and the U.K.
“We could sell thousands of machines, but it’s not the way we want to grow the company,” said Stuart. “You’ll still see us out on weekends installing and filling machines.”
Read more about Bleni Blends and their episode on Shark Tank in Main Line Today.
