The Rollin’ Oat, the first-ever mobile oatmeal bar, officially started rollin’ in February 2019 and has quickly become a local favorite and breakfast staple on Saturdays in Hoboken at the Garden Street Farmers Market. Stephanie Acurio, founder and owner of The Rollin’ Oat, along with James D’andrea, the head of business development, is redefining the way people think about oatmeal with their innovative signature bowls and BYOB bar {Build your Own Bowl}. They bring a fun and healthy on-the-go breakfast option, or post-workout snack, to complement those with busy lifestyles.
Hoboken Girl recently caught up with Stephanie + James to learn about how they got started and their journey in the food cart business. And FYI, this is not grandma’s oatmeal – this is #breakfastwithbenefits. Read on to learn all about The Rollin’ Oat, serving sweet and savory oat bowls, oat milk and banana oat bread, and more at the Garden Street Farmer’s Market in Hoboken.
How The Rollin’ Oat Got Started
Stephanie worked in the restaurant industry since she was a teenager in Florida and was always passionate about new food and unique concepts. She moved to NYC in 2016 where she started a career in sales working at Equinox and its there she met her boyfriend James, who also shared her passion for food and health.
The two founders both struggled every day finding healthy food options while on-the-go. They were tired of bagels and pastries being their only choices on a workday. After a few successful years in the health sales industry, Stephanie decided that she was ready to start her own journey.
She always loved oatmeal and with Instagram being such a huge handle for innovative food items, she got creative and started playing around with some oatmeal recipes at home as well as taking pictures and getting great feedback from friends. She had seen a food cart while traveling and loved the concept. She then shared her idea with James and he saw the vision she had as well.
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Her dream was to someday start her own business and, after experiencing the corporate lifestyle, she saw the potential and need for a concept like this.
With James’ support and knowledge of the health and food industry, the two have been able to connect with many amazing companies like WeWork and Warby Parker to share their concept.
“The Rollin’ Oat came to life earlier this year and, so far, it has been the best experience of my life,” Stephanie said.
The Business Itself
Stephanie always liked the idea of an open concept, where people can see all the ingredients and watch their food created right in front of them. She wanted this experience to be mobile so they could bring it to different spaces.
“Starting a food cart as a small business is also a great cost-efficient way to start your own business,” she offers as advice to others who have a similar dream of their own.
On a typical day, Stephanie heads from their home in Edgewater to NYC early in the morning to set up their oatmeal bar at their client’s hosting breakfast events at different office spaces every week {find them at select WeWork offices in NYC}.
After every event, she heads over to the market to pick up more fresh ingredients for the next day. Then she heads to the kitchen to prepare the toppings, sauces, and supplies for the next event. The day usually ends at home answering emails and working on new recipes.
One of the biggest challenges she says she faces is creating a fun and innovative brand around oatmeal, an old-fashioned food item that everyone loves but holds a reputation for being dull and boring.
“We are giving oats a face-lift and bringing a new way to enjoy this nutritious grain.”
Stephanie says the best thing about her job is to have the opportunity to go to new places and meet new people every day. People are always so curious and excited when they see their menu and cart.
“It’s not easy to surprise people with food these days, but we do it every time.”
The toughest part of owning a food cart, however, is making sure that she is utilizing the space efficiently. She can only transport a certain amount of items and supplies, so being proactive about what she brings is very important.
For Stephanie and James, the goal is to have many carts in NYC and NJ, including Hoboken and Jersey City by the end of 2020. Their vision is to bring this unique experience to all of corporate America.
“It’s an amazing experience that allows us to visit different spaces and people. I love being able to take our oatmeal experience to different communities,” said Stephanie.
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What They Serve
Think everything oats. They sell fun and innovative oatmeal creations, as well as overnight oats, banana oat bread, homemade oat milk, and granola.
While it is difficult to choose their favorite menu item, Stephanie and James agree that their best selling flavor is the Bananas Foster oatmeal bowl with caramelized bananas, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel. It’s a crowd favorite. Stephanie loves savory oatmeal. The Chicky Bowl with their homemade hummus, crunchy chickpeas, basil oil, and paprika is also the perfect mid-day snack.
The menu changes monthly, but some of the other mouth-watering creations currently enjoyed are: Sweet – PB + J {peanut butter, raspberry jam, chopped peanuts}, Berry Creème Bruûleée {vanilla custard, brown sugar, berries, whipped cream}, CoCo-Nana {bananas, coconut, caramel}, The Riser {berries, bananas, almond butter}, Matcha {matcha, granola, coconut, sesame, honey}, and Savory – Margherita {mozzarella, pizza sauce, + basil oil}.
With so many delicious choices, the oatmeal bar also includes a “build your own oatmeal creation” which includes two toppings and one drizzle all for just $5. Toppings to choose from are bananas, berries, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, raisins, dark chocolate, coconut, graham crackers, and granola. Drizzles to top the bowl consist of peanut butter, RazzJam, Nutella, maple syrup, almond butter, caramel, honey, and basil oil. Don’t forget to ask for cinnamon, matcha, cocoa, salt, brown sugar, or oat milk.
But they are not just about the oatmeal bowls. At $5 each, they also sell homemade granolas made with honey, olive oil, and cinnamon {flavors changing every week with ingredients from walnuts, peanuts, almonds, craisins, raisins, and coconut}, banana oat bread {dairy-free mini loaf}, and 8oz containers of vegan dairy-free overnight oats {oats, oat milk, chia seeds, cinnamon} to take home for the week or enjoy on the spot with berries, bananas, or a drizzle of peanut butter.
The homemade oat milk they use in their creations is also for sale {yes almond milk lovers, it’s time for a change}. The 11oz glass bottles are $5 and the 32oz growlers are $15 the first time. Bring back the glass jug, the refill is just $10 {kudos to the environmentally friendly company}. The vegan milk, which is lightly sweetened with maple syrup, will last up to seven days if kept properly refrigerated.
Location + Hours
Find The Rollin’ Oat every Saturday at their Hoboken home at the Garden Street Farmers Market on 14th and Garden Street from 9:00AM-2:00PM from June through December. They roll {pun intended} around NYC and NJ catering for corporate, school, or other private events. Reach out to them online if interested in booking the cart for your next party or for a fun and healthy way to start the day at work. Watch out for them coming to Harborside in Jersey City soon, too.
Be sure to follow them on IG @therollinoat for more information.
What’s your favorite flavor at Rollin’ Oat? #breakfastwithbenefits Let us know in the comments!
