The Truth About Herbalife, the Company Behind Loaded Tea Nutrition Clubs | Eater

"Opened in Springfield, Missouri in January 2021 by a couple who left their corporate jobs, this nutrition-club-turned-health-bar initially sold around 20 colorful “loaded teas” and indulgent protein shakes per day (flavors included strawberry margarita, Jamaican Me Happy, and Love Story). The owners used Herbalife recipes and supplies and completed company training, but high product costs and compliance burdens—spending over $20,000 a month on inventory, paying about $4 to make each drink that retailed for roughly $7, and maintaining detailed ledgers—quickly depleted savings despite roughly $100,000 in sales. After rebranding away from Herbalife in August 2021 and switching to non-MLM ingredients, their per-drink costs dropped by about half and labor costs fell by nearly two-thirds, but the shop initially lost roughly half its customer base and the owners were socially ostracized by their former distributor network." - Amy McCarthy