Orinda Milkshake Maker Moves His Machines to Emeryville

Orinda resident Jim Farrell, founder and president of F'Real Foods, is moving his operation from Orinda to Emeryville, according to the San Francisco Business Times. 

Farrell founded the company over ten years ago, after working for Dryer's Ice Cream. F'Real Foods makes vending machines that churn out freshly-stirred milk shakes from pre-packaged ingredients. There are machines in over 10,000 stores around the country, including military bases, university lunch rooms, and convenience stores.

“As we have continued to grow, there was just no more room in Orinda,” Farrell told the Business Times. “We were looking for a place in the East Bay and Emeryville rose as the best choice.”

Farrell began F'Real Foods in his garage, after realizing how much people love milkshakes. He developed a blending machine and a pre-packaged cup with the ingredients already in it. A customer puts the cup into the machine, closes the door, and a few minutes later a milkshake emerges. 

Today his company has gone from the garage to a business with 50 employees. He continues to hire additional people as his company grows, he said.