What are Smartbars?

Smartbars were a popular type of retail outlet in the 1990s that offered customers healthy snack options along with smart drinks. The concept behind the Smartbar was to provide a convenient, on-the-go option for health-conscious individuals who were looking for nutritious snack and beverage choices.

Smartbar History

Smartbars first emerged in the early 1990s and quickly became popular in urban centers throughout the United States. The original Smartbar was a retail kiosk or storefront that sold a variety of healthy snack options, including granola bars, trail mix, and other nutritious foods. In addition, they offered "smart drinks" that were marketed as beverages that contained vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other essential nutrients and enhanced cognition.

Smart Drinks

The Smartbar's signature product was its smart drinks, which were marketed as a healthier alternative to sugary fizzy drinks, alcohol and even street drugs such as speed, ecstacy and cocaine. These drinks contained a blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other essential nutrients that were designed to provide consumers with sustained energy and support memory as well as overall health and wellness.

Smart drinks were first introduced to New Zealand by Mark Barlow, who had a stall selling them at Aucklands first Big Day Out concert in 1994.  The $15 fruit cocktails had name like blast, fast-blast and memory-fuel and contained ingredients like L-phenylalanine and caffeine. They also sold blast caps, one of the worlds first true 'smart product' formulas, and still available MindFuel to this day.

Smartbars Today

While the popularity of Smartbars declined in the early 2000s, the concept of offering healthy snack options and smart drinks has continued to thrive. Today, there are many retailers and online stores that offer a variety of healthy snack and beverage options, catering to the growing demand for healthier food and drink choices.

Many of these retailers continue to offer smart drinks, which are now often marketed as "functional beverages" that contain a variety of health-promoting ingredients, such as probiotics, adaptogens, and other natural compounds.

References

• "Smart Bars: The Healthy Alternative to Traditional Snack Foods." Nature's Plus. Accessed on 14 April 2023. https://www.naturesplus.com/products/productdetail.php?productNumber=4520
• "The Evolution of Smart Bars." Smart Nutrition. Accessed on 14 April 2023. https://smartnutrition.com/the-evolution-of-smart-bars/
• "Functional Beverages: The New Trend in Healthy Drinks." Food Business News. Accessed on 14 April 2023. https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/10623-functional-beverages-the-new-trend-in-healthy-drinks