Greenobar at a crossroads: navigating the sustainability trade-off

Abstract

The case was developed using both primary data gathered from a series of semi-structured interviews with Yash Mehta, Co-founder at Greenobar and well-sourced and published secondary data. The case examines Greenobar, India’s inaugural zero-waste fruit juice bar established in Gujarat by Yash Mehta in 2021. Born from Yash’s experience with Farmse India, a sustainability-focused organic enterprise, the venture introduced a “Pedal–Blend–Drink” concept designed to merge eco-friendly consumption with active living.Despite attracting good initial interest, the venture eventually faced reduced footfall, operational inefficiencies and inventory management complexities. By late 2023, Yash reached a strategic crossroads regarding the business’s sustainability. This case challenges students to evaluate whether Greenobar’s hurdles stemmed from impulsive opportunity recognition, flawed venture planning or a fundamental misalignment between social objectives and commercial viability. It provides a robust framework for discussing entrepreneurial traits, business model design and the unique pitfalls of sustainability-oriented start-ups. The case is intended for postgraduate students enrolled in courses on Entrepreneurship, New Venture Creation, Strategic Management and Sustainable Business. It is particularly suitable for second-year MBA students, participants in entrepreneurship specialisation courses, early-stage entrepreneurs associated with business incubators and participants in executive development programmes focused on venture planning and impact entrepreneurship.