The adults who grew up on Jarritos, but are more health-conscious today, will love Bawi.
The Austin, Texas-based company markets itself as “the first sparkling agua fresca.” Started by Victor Guardiola, a 27-year-old Mexican immigrant, the company has raised more than $3.5 million to reimagine the soda market. With colorful font and lotería-inspired branding, Bawi’s line of flavors includes piña (pineapple), maracuya (passion fruit), límon (lime), and guayaba (guava).
“Bawi is one of the first better-for-you Hispanic beverages on the market,” said Guardiola. “Our cause and claim is introducing cultural relevance for the Hispanic community while innovating on health.”
With less than 9 grams of sugar per can (compared to 35 grams in Jarritos bottles), Bawi offers a sweeter alternative to seltzer waters without the sugar found in other soda products.
Bawi was created during Guardiola’s time at the University of Texas in Austin, just before he graduated in 2020. The idea formed in the summer of 2019, but it wasn’t until April 2022 that the first production run took place, launching the company with Jordan Hicks (who left the company earlier this year). Guardiola tested his concept at farmers markets in 2020 “because it’s important to see if your product actually has product market fit by selling it.”.
Today, Bawi is available at Fresh Thyme grocery stores nationwide, Whole Foods in Austin and Northern California, and online through Amazon and the Bawi site, which offers discounted pricing to customers who shop directly through the brand. Bawi is on track to beat its 2025 sales target, with revenue exceeding $2 million. Austin, Chicago, and Northern California are the brand’s biggest markets.
“Food and beverage at large is such an incredible vehicle for culture,” said Guardiola. “Bawi is a Trojan horse for people to open a dialogue about Hispanic culture and food.”
The name itself, a frequently asked question, provides an entry point into Guardiola’s world. The Bawi founder credits his father, Jose Hector Guardiola, for naming the company.
“He told me about the Rarámuri people of Northern Mexico, where my family’s from, around the Chihuahua desert,” said Guardiola. “What makes them notable to a larger audience is their long-distance running ability. Their word for spring water was bawi.”
But he says he hasn’t used the Rarámuri people’s story or the indigenous language (also known as Tarahumara) as a marketing tool because he has not “established a mechanism to support that community, and without doing that, it feels antithetical to the cause of cultural representation.”
Guardiola has a clear sense of responsibility. It shows up in his work and might be the reason the young company has taken off so quickly. In his work, the underlying current is to make room for more people like him.
“My guiding force in life has been in trying to do things that make me proud of myself,” said Guardiola. “If there’s something you aspire to be and it’s constantly on your mind, you have to move forward in that direction. Sometimes that’s scary, but it’s worth trying. Because it’s only a matter of time before one of those ideas is a success.”
And right now, that’s Bawi.
