After several months teasing that the brand would soon be available in retail outlets, Soylent today announced that it will be making its brick-and-mortar debut this month at 18 7-Eleven locations in Greater Los Angeles. The launch includes three of Soylent’s ready-to-drink flavors, including Cacao, Cafe Coffiest, and Cafe Chai, the latter of which was announced by the company last month.
“It is exciting that the demand for our breakthrough line of drinkable meals has moved beyond e-commerce,” Rob Rhinehart, Soylent founder and CEO, said in a press release. “This new collaboration with 7-Eleven will make Soylent an even better option for customers looking for convenience without sacrificing their health. We are thrilled to be working alongside the talented 7-Eleven team and look forward to building our retail presence nationwide.”
Since launching in 2013, Soylent, a brand of meal replacement drinks, powders and snack bars, has been sold exclusively through e-commerce. However, talks of finally making the leap into brick-and-mortar came up after the company closed a $50 million Series B financing round in May. At the time, Rhinehart told BevNET that he hoped to expand Soylent’s consumer base as wide as possible and that “eventually, Soylent should be as easy to find as a cup of coffee.”
Each 14 oz. bottle contains 400 calories, 20g of protein, and promotes the drink as a “complete meal” with 20 percent daily nutrition.
“Soylent is a differentiated product for the on-the-go millennial,” said Todd McFarland, 7-Eleven senior product director for vault, in a press release. “It is a great example of a product that has reached online success in a short period, and we are excited to collaborate with Soylent to bring the drinkable meals to our stores in a single serving.”
In May, Rhinehart told BevNET the company has plans for a broader mainstream marketing strategy to appeal to a larger consumer audience. In June, newly appointed President Bryan Crowley told BevNET that after a retail launch Soylent’s core business model would remain focused on e-commerce, but that retail will allow for the company to expand its reach and availability.