Antonio DaCosta, a Brazilian native, likes meditation, simple and pure living, and - although he is too busy to do it now - farming. During much of the 1990’s he traveled extensively in India, Europe and the U.S. working under the guidance of expert chefs who taught him the art of vegetarian cuisine. For five years before Pure Bliss he owned and operated his own vegetarian restaurant, The Higher Taste in Tallahassee, Florida. At Pure Bliss, he manages production and accounting and is very talented at developing recipes for new products.

Krishna DaCosta grew up in the farmlands of rural Brazil, enjoying the local fresh milk, fruits, and vegetables. Her parents instilled in her a passion for eating good food and sharing it with others. She has practiced yoga and meditation for almost twenty years and is a passionate advocate for vegetarianism and non-violence. In the realm of food and nutrition she is into juice fasting, Ayurvedic/ Indian cuisine, whole grain and vegan baking, sprouting, and raw foods. At Pure Bliss she is in charge of developing new products.

Though Antonio and Krishna are both from Brazil, their paths first crossed in Florida in 1998. Drawn together by their shared love for yoga, meditation and healthy foods, they married and are now the proud parents of two beautiful children.

Jon Morgan manages sales and marketing at Pure Bliss and, along with Antonio, oversees the day-to-day operations. He believes the body is a sacred gift that should be nourished with organic and all-natural foods. Jon spent ten years living, working, studying philosophy and practicing meditation in an ashram. There, he was also one of the chefs and cooked meals for up to five hundred guests at a time. One of those guests was Karen, who became his wife in 1995.

In addition to being a business owner, Karen Morgan is also an actor, a nanny, a grandmother and a real people person. She also enjoys cooking, but is more likely to follow a recipe than create a new one. Karen contributes to managerial decisions at Pure Bliss and frequently extols the virtues of the company's products at local farmers' markets and store demos.
 

After life in the ashram, Jon began a career as a traveling salesman in 1998. When business brought him to Tallahassee, he often visited Antonio’s restaurant, the Higher Taste, for great meals. Jon told Antonio about his desire to start a food business in his hometown of Atlanta and for him to call if he ever moved there.

After eight years on the road, Jon wanted to spend more time at home with Karen and follow his dream to have a food business. As if by fate, the DeCostas needed to relocate to Atlanta in 2005. Sharing a passion for delicious natural food, the two couples seized the opportunity to go into business together.

How It All Began

Selling their homes for start-up capital, the Morgans and the DeCostas bought a small North Carolina-based granola company in August 2005. At the time, Shooka’s Granola came in two flavors – Pure & Simple and Cherry Almond Vanilla – and sold in nine local stores, including Whole Foods Market. With no facility to call their own, the Morgans and the DeCostas rented space in an Atlanta bakery to make Shooka's Granola. While keeping their day jobs, they worked twelve-hour shifts on the weekends and business grew steadily. After a year, the team was ready for their own place and converted a space at an office park in Marietta, Georgia into a commercial bakery.

In the new facility, the team decided to go all organic with their product line and began to experiment with new recipes. After only a few months of kitchen testing, they introduced a number of unique granolas and nut mixes, then a year later a line of energy bars. In April 2007 they changed the name of the company to Pure Bliss Organics and received their USDA Organic certification.

Today, Pure Bliss Organics granola, gourmet nuts and energy bars are available in hundreds of stores from coast to coast, and the company continues to expand in new markets. But the spirit remains the same. All our products are made with great care, love and attention and contain the best quality organic ingredients we can find. It’s our pleasure to bring you nutritious and great-tasting food – or, as we prefer to say – to Share the Bliss!™