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Franklin Vieira founded the açaí brand Puro.Açaí in 2011, in Fortaleza, and today has 82 units in seven states, with a 1,250-hectare farm in Pará and its own factory. The larger goals, of 100 stores and R$ 51 million this year, are still projections of the company.
After ten years as a waiter, Franklin Vieira borrowed R$ 500 from his brother, put açaí in a street cart, formed a 40-minute line, and today runs a network that earns R$ 45 million, with a farm of 600 thousand trees in Pará. According to the material from PEGN, the trajectory and numbers of the business were detailed by the entrepreneur himself, now 44 years old, who transformed the sale of tapioca and pastry into a franchise network with 82 units.
The turning point came when the fruit entered the cart’s menu in Fortaleza. According to Franklin, Puro.Açaí was founded in 2011 and grew to the current 82 units in seven states, supported by a farm in Baixo Tocantins, Pará, and by its own factory, in a vertical operation alongside his wife and partner, Ana Paula Vieira. The ambitions for 2026 and 2030, however, are still projections of the company.
From tapioca cart to 40-minute line with açaí
The starting point was the switch from a profession to a snack cart. At 30 years old, after a decade as a waiter, Franklin decided to venture with a cart in Fortaleza, which sold tapioca in the morning and pastry in the afternoon. The breakthrough came when açaí entered the menu, after he tried the fruit version mixed with guaraná syrup and concluded that he could make something of higher quality than what he saw in the region’s market.
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The new product created a line and soon became the focus of the business. With R$ 500 borrowed from his brother, he bought pulps, tested recipes, and started selling. “It started to form a line and sold much more than the pastry,” Franklin says. Even after directing the cart solely to açaí, the wait still exceeded 40 minutes, and with the support of Ana Paula Vieira, now his wife and partner, he structured a kiosk that attracted the first interested in franchising the brand.
The turn to franchises and the Puro.Açaí brand
The kiosk model paved the way for franchising. Already in the process of patenting the brand, the couple sought consultancies and formatted Puro.Açaí for franchises, opening the first unit in this model in 2012, the same year they set up their own store. The network’s growth happened organically, and to differentiate from competitors and offer better conditions to franchisees, the partners decided to verticalize the operation.
From the first store, the brand reached a network in seven states. Founded in 2011 in Fortaleza, the Puro.Açaí franchise network now has 82 units, with shopping mall and street store models, and plans to open its first kiosk unit next semester. The açaí with fewer preservatives and more solids became the network’s trademark, aimed at classes A and B.
The 600,000-tree farm in Pará and verticalization
Verticalization gained momentum with the purchase of a cultivation area. In 2018, the couple acquired 1,250 hectares in Baixo Tocantins, Pará, where 600,000 açaí trees are now planted, alongside a factory for the production of the final item. The investment was around R$ 3.5 million, with the support of a regional bank.
Own production, however, is still a fraction of the total. The farm currently accounts for about 25% of the açaí used by the company, while the rest comes from small local producers. The expectation is that by 2030, own production will reach about 50% of the inputs, a goal that depends on the maturation of cultivation and infrastructure in Pará.
The new brand Marana and goals for 2026
The couple also opened a second front in the açaí market. Last year, Marana was born, aimed at retail and wholesale, with more competitive prices to reach classes C, D, and E through açaí creams, while Puro.Açaí targets the classes A and B audience. For now, Marana operates in the licensing model, with eight units in Ceará.
The numbers for 2025 support even higher plans for the year. With around 500 tons of açaí sold in 2025, Puro.Açaí alone earned R$ 45 million last year, and the forecast for 2026 is to reach 100 stores in operation and a revenue of R$ 51 million.
These are goals, not confirmed results, which depend on the continuation of expansion, the performance of the young brand Marana, and a vertical integration that, for now, covers only a quarter of the açaí used by the network.
With R$ 500 borrowed from his brother and a street cart in Fortaleza, Franklin Vieira built Puro.Açaí, today a network of açaí with 82 units in seven states and R$ 45 million in revenue, supported by a farm with 600,000 trees in Pará and its own factory.
Alongside his wife and partner, Ana Paula Vieira, he invested in vertical integration and a second brand, Marana. The next goals, of 100 stores and R$ 51 million in 2026, in addition to half of the açaí coming from their own production by 2030, are the company’s projections and remain dependent on maintaining the growth pace.
And you, would you bet on an açaí franchise as a business model, or do you think it’s riskier to invest in a network that produces its own fruit? Share your opinion and exchange ideas with other readers about entrepreneurship, with respect for different views.
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