, the beverage industry's top business pitch competition. He was one of 12 new brands invited to compete and ended up in the top six, garnering attention from companies like Coca-Cola, Whole Foods and Sprouts.
In regard to his fast-growing success, Francia said, "I'm kind of freaking out a little bit! I thought this was going to start off very mom-and-pop, and it's anything but that, now."In 2008 and 2010, Francia had two bouts of pneumonia involving severe secondary infections. On top of that, he was suffering from severe acid reflux, bad back issues, heartburn, obesity, swollen joints and aspirating fluids in his lungs at night.
But 2015 was Francia's real wake-up call. He watched his grandmother and grandfather die at 96 and 98, respectively. He realized that, genetically, he had the potential to live a long life, but only if he did something about his health. "Having created almost every recipe at Sweeto Burrito, every rub sauce, marinade — I knew how to go play with flavors," Francia told KSL.com.
Prior to his own health issues, Francia grew up watching his stepdad, who raised him from the age of 6, struggle with unmanaged diabetes. Most diseases start in your stomach and in your intestines. So if you want to be healthy, start with your gut.Francia thought Life Cider would only be popular among the health-conscious crowd, but he has seen it be well-received across a wide age range and many demographics. He noted that Utah is full of influencers, "mommy bloggers," and food lovers who share products they love, making it a great place to launch the product.