Meet Betsy Steinberg | Owner, Operator and good vibes Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Betsy Steinberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Betsy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was gifted the space to explore starting Ride ON Smoothies and Eats after my 12-year career in food Manfacturing took a sudden turn when Covid hit. The company I worked for, that made nut free foods for kids, was unable to keep the lines running and ultimately, the majority holding investors sold to a company outside of the United States. My love for producing food with clean ingredients in an efficient, safe and fun environment would continue with my vision and passion.

I started to get really excited at the idea of a serving Smoothies, juices and healthy whole food options to our community. Renting a storefront in the middle of a pandemic was not an option so I began exploring what it could look like to be mobile. I secured our 5×9 mailbox trailer through a supplier in the Southeastern part of the Country and began working through the logistics.

Launching Ride ON Smoothie and Eats at our local Farmers Market was a natural first step. We are looking forward to our next season working with the good people at the Food Shed Alliance and Salida Farmers market. We are so stoked to be welcomed into several local festivals for the 2025 season as well. We recently added small batch catering to our services which has been a really fun addition to our schedule.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Ride ON Smoothies and Eats is a mobile food trailer that started serving Smoothies, Acai bowls, Juices and healthy breakfast fare at the Salida Farmers Market in 2021. We are proud to serve our community healthy breakfast options to fuel their next adventure. You might catch us whipping up a fresh batch of our ginger elixir shots on our bike blender while we poor you a real fruit smoothie. Our customers love our grab and go fridge stocked with our signature green juice, bliss balls and vegan snicker bites.

The challenges of running a small business in the mountains of Colorado continue to remind me that being flexible and consistent must go hand in hand. If one supplier is out of an Ingredient, we need to be ready to purchase from our backup supplier and while we are at it, we probably should have a backup to that supplier as well.

When people think of Ride ON Smoothies and Eats, I want them to know they will always get real food with real ingredients while supporting a family owned and operated business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When family from back East or friends from the Front range come for a visit, we start our day at Mountain Pheonix coffee for the best locally roasted coffee in Colorado. Thier gluten free pumpkin bread is a favorite too.

We will than head downtown to sit alongside the Arkansas River and watch the surfers tear it up. Next, we will head over to Frantz Lake for a walk and bring our SUP boards.

Time to head back downtown to our favorite lunch spot in all of Chaffee County, Amica’s Pizza, for wood fired pizza, their Verns Mountain salad with signature dressing.

We will than head over to Riveting Experience on F St to hand make our own jewelry and Salida souvenir together.

After some chill time, we would go to Currents Restaurant, also on F St, for dinner. They serve the best local beer from Elevation brewery with a delicious variety of steak and seafood options.

We would than walk to Chill, for some Ice cream and wind down the night at Riverside Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This Shoutout is dedicated to my sweet Community in Chaffee County. I am blessed to live in the Salida/Poncha Springs area for 21 years. I have been witnessed to this Community showing up for each other in ways that will ignite the human spirit. There is a sense of having each other’s backs in our community including supporting our neighbors health and wellness. We definitely know how to gather around a good meal after enjoying outside recreation at its finest.

A shoutout to my friends and Co-workers that will try any new recipe I put in front of them. Yes, you can make cookie dough out of chickpeas, who knew?!

Finally, a shoutout to my children, Drake (20), Reed (16) and Brook (10). Thank you for hauling the slushy machine, working the dream and being the motivation behind Ride ON Smoothies and Eats. May you always know the value of service and a hard day’s work. To my sweet boyfriend, Rafael, with whose boundless support and encouragement remind me that being present and enjoying this life is just as important as the hustle.

Instagram: @rideonchaffeecounty

Facebook: RideON