Jillian Tedeschi was stunned and honored to have her
Blended by J açaí bowl food truck make it into the finals of the Best of Springfield competition after only two months of business.
“To be nominated for Best New Business and Best Food Truck was definitely not expected,” Tedeschi says. “Just to be included with the other amazing local businesses is huge and such an honor.”
Tedeschi was born and raised in Springfield and graduated from
Northwestern High School in 2019. After graduating high school, she went to the
University of Dayton, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations in 2022.
Despite working full-time at the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Tedeschi decided to pursue an after-hours job in the food truck business after a trip to Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
“(My boyfriend, Tyler King, and I) love to travel to Fort Myers, and açai bowls seem to be very popular around there,” Tedeschi explains. “Açai bowls are the first thing we want when we got to the beach, and I started to think ‘this is what Springfield needs.’ I think bringing a healthy alternative to the mobile food business is important, and I was really happy to do it.”
Tedeschi credits King and both of their families for being instrumental in getting her up and running - and keeping her going.
“In April, I took the leap and purchased an empty utility trailer from the sweetest couple in Chillicothe, Ohio,” Tedeschi says. “With lots of help, we turned it into a completely functional food trailer in a total of 22 days.
"It wouldn’t have been such a short process without the help of Tyler’s family. And I have the best parents and brother in the world, who have embraced the time of cutting fruit, running errands for me, and coming to the rescue. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.”
Blended by J has a simple menu with just three different bowls, all with an açaí base. The number-one seller is the Rose City, which consists of strawberries, banana, granola, Nutella drizzle, and peanut butter drizzle.
There’s also the FAB, which has strawberries, banana, kiwi, granola, honey, and chia seeds. And then the Sunrise, which features strawberries, blueberries, granola, honey, and coconut flakes.
In addition to the typical menu, Blended by J offers a “pop-up bowl,” which introduces different types of fruit for a limited time.
“It’s fun to throw in a bowl with mango or pomegranate or pineapple every once in a while,” Tedeschi says. “Not only does that give people the chance to try new bowls, but it also lets us know what our customers like and what we need to add to our menu. Typically, we try to personalize our pop-up bowls to the venue that we set up at. We’ve had lots of fun designing these bowls."
Since Tedeschi and King work day jobs during the week, you can find them bopping around town on the weekends, from
Scout’s Café in Northridge, to various hair salons around Springfield, to the
Harmony Farm Market.
“We’re super thankful for the business owners that let us set up in their lots,” Tedeschi says. “I think something I didn’t expect is all of the relationships that this business has built for us, which I am so grateful for.”
While Blended by J is just getting started, Tedeschi says she has no plans to leave Springfield.
“Living here my whole life has caused me to develop a love for the city,” she says. “I think Springfield as a whole has some really exciting new businesses, lots going on Downtown, and a strong community. I also just really enjoy living here.”
Tedeschi and King are thrilled by the support, reviews, and photos they’ve been getting from locals, and they are open to the idea of different partnerships, collaborations, and expansions.
“We plan to take the winter months to think about [the future],” Tedeschi shares. “As a side gig, I never would’ve imagined for this to take off in the way it has. It’s easy to say that Blended has consumed every minute of my free time, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”