If you’ve come across the so-called ‘Acai Wars’ on TikTok, you’re not alone. The videos have been flooding everyone’s FYP in recent weeks, as acai store owners post about a so-called rivalry. But with two fire bombing incidents, an apparent hoax call to the authorities, and TikTok videos that feel more like a MAFS villain airing their side of the story, we had to wonder — have the ‘acai wars’ in this more than $700 million industry taken a darker tone?
The so-called ‘acai wars’ have been a long-running joke among online enthusiasts given the sheer abundance of these stores and food trucks, with debates ranging from who serves the best texture and toppings (I’m a Biscoff gal myself) to who has the best menu.
Acai shop owners also joined the fun, announcing they’re ‘joining the acai wars’ as they promoted video after video on their socials.
The rapid expansion of the trend has seen international chain Oakberry announce plans for 30 new outlets across Australia, as reported by the Guardian, while large Australian acai importers like Amazonia and Amazon Power have seen their imports hit all-time highs.
Clearly it’s an industry raking in some serious cash here and is believed to be worth around $750 million annually in the country, per The Australian Financial Review.
But what started out as a friendly competition on social media has seemingly taken a dark turn, with two spots firebombed this month.
The first incident hit Sydney’s Acai World in Merrylands on February 9, sparking rampant speculation as many queried whether it was the result of intense competition between rivals.
The incident prompted an emotional TikTok video in response — that garnered over one million views — where Acai World clarified the situation.
“This was a targeted attack to burn down a business that was doing well,” the owner’s nephew Ray Amer said, noting there is camera footage now with authorities.
“We’ve seen the camera footage, there were two people that set the shop on fire, we don’t know who did it.”
However, he shut down TikTok rumours the store was firebombed by a rival acai store, saying there was “no such thing as [the] acai wars”, and that “it doesn’t happen here in Sydney”.
Amer stated: “This whole idea of other businesses in acai being in competition with each other and that there’s tension, there’s no tension. We’re all aiming for the same thing and that’s to bring acai to the community.”
He also took aim at the negative comments, particularly those suggesting the fire was gang-related, given stereotypes surrounding Arab-owned businesses.
“Why is it when others see people successful in what they do, they assume that we’re doing dirty work? Assume what you want, we know who we are,” he said.
But just a week later, a second firebombing incident occurred in Melbourne, fueling even more online discussion. On February 17, popular acai store Munch Spot in Dandenong was allegedly targeted when a vehicle rammed into the storefront and was set alight shortly after.
Sharing a clip from 9News on their TikTok page, Munch Spot remarked “this is what happens when people can’t stand to see others succeed.”
“To the person who did this, we genuinely feel sorry for you. Imagine carrying so much hate in your heart over someone else’s hard work,” they stated in a video.
Authorities are investigating the incidents, although the timing of these fires has had the TikTok community in a flurry.
“This literally happened to that other acai place in Sydney too, WTF is going on?” wrote one user.
“Another acai shop down,” said one TikToker while another piped in it’s looking like acai wars are “getting out of hand”.
“Isn’t it weird? Someone doesn’t like the competition,” one user commented.
In what serves as good news, a number of acai stores have come out in support of their rivals regarding these recent incidents, such as Rydalmere-based store Yalla Acai, who commented they were “very sorry to see this happen” and that they’re happy to help in any way they could.
Facing a competitive industry
Speaking to PEDESTRIAN.TV about the intense competition in Sydney’s acai scene, Ehtesham Ahmad, owner of Acai Vibez in Rockdale, said he was drawn to the profitable dessert trend and attractive business opportunity, prompting the store opening three months ago.
“Business is going good, it’s picked up. It’s not like [the acai trend] has died out,” he said.
However, it remains a competitive space, he said, sharing a recent instance when NSW Food Authority reportedly visited his store after receiving what he believes were complaints from rivals.
“I started this new product of acai dots, it blew up and got millions of views [online] and after a few days, we had the Food Authority come down. They said ‘we want to have a look, we got a lot of complaints from people and businesses’,” Ahmad recounted.
“They had a look and said it’s all fine, even they said ‘it’s just your haters’.”
Similarly, the owner of Acai Junky in Bankstown — who chose not to be named — elaborated on the ‘beef’ with rivals, telling content creator Jamie Zhu how some might resort to underhanded tactics to try to knock others down.
“When people see something out there that’s successful, and they’re in the same industry, they think by destroying that business or whatever it is, trying to put that business down, they’re going to succeed,” he said in a recent YouTube video.
What have the police said?
Authorities in both Sydney and Melbourne are looking into the incidents and have stopped short of addressing any so-called ‘acai wars’.
NSW Police had no comment on speculations while Victoria Police referred to a statement about the Dandenong fire, noting that it was too early in the investigation to determine if this incident is linked to any others.
But even with these official responses, the timing of the fires — along with hints from store owners about “jealousy” and “hatred” in the competitive landscape — has only driven online theories of turf wars gone too far.
“It will be interesting to see how the acai wars play out [and] to see what shops don’t get burnt,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Going to look back at this as the great acai war,” another remarked.
All we can say is, whether these fires are the result of intense competition, gang-related motives, or a combination of both, it’s looking like the stakes have escalated quickly in the booming acai industry.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Acai World and Munch Spot for comment.
Lead image: Google Maps / TikTok
The post Two Firebombs & Non-Stop TikToks: Are The So-Called ‘Acai Wars’ Getting Out Of Hand? appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
