You've just finished your workout at the gym or your jog around the neighborhood.
You're ready to quench your thirst, stay hydrated.
So you reach for Gatorade, Powerade or maybe Vitamin Water.
But hold on. There's another popular choice in the North Shore. It's called Greater Than.
Whether you're in Sunset Foods, Slammers Baseball & Softball Training Facility, Joy of the Game Center, EFT Sports Performance or some other North Shore business, you will see athletes and others grabbing a tropical, orange or lemon lime Greater Than drink.
'Our athletes -- pro, college and high school -- really like it,' said Elias Karras of EFT. 'It's lighter than other sports beverage drinks and not as syrupy.'
So where did Greater Than spring up from? The idea was concocted by two Highland Park High School graduates, Mark ('98) and Jon Sider ('03).
'We had a hunger (thirst) to do something out of the ordinary,' said Jon, 25, who has a business degree from Tulane
Added Mark Sider, 30, who has a business degree from Indiana: 'We wanted to find some motivation in our careers. It's always been, what if?'
But going into the beverage business can be a daunting vocation, especially going up against the big boys.
Mark put it simply: 'we knew nothing about the beverage industry.'
So the brothers did a lot of research, went to beverage trade shows, consulted with beverage formulators, hired scientists to do testing and visited a former Gatorade consultant. That was followed by tasting, measuring, mixing, tweaking and more tasting until everything was just right as the nursery rhyme goes.
This 15-month process began in 2009.
'We had to make sure that the product was damn good to compete. This is an extremely competitive business,' Mark said. 'We still have a long way to go.'
The tough part is getting the word out.
But the Sider brothers have come up with a unique way of doing that. They drive around in a sprinter truck (light commercial vehicle), complete with a brightly painted mural of bottles of Greater Than. The Siders have even mounted speakers on the truck -- kind of like the bells on an ice cream truck alerting the neighborhood.
And when people come around, the Siders give them free samples.
Part of the equation to success comes right from their personalities.
'I love their energy, their vision,' said Slammers owner and Top Tier baseball coach Todd Fine. 'Here are two young guys getting after it.'
Fine has made Greater Than the official drink of Top Tier.
'You just have to hustle' Mark said. 'It's just like going after a loose ball in basketball.'
That hustle and enthusiasm played out when the Siders drove their van into a couple of driveways recently -- to houses owned by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers and Bulls big man Joakim Noah. They left a care package for Peppers. They left a crate of samples for Noah.
According to Karras, Bulls forward Luol Deng is an avid drinker of Greater Than -- especially when he trains at EFT.
The product itself is actually less than vs. greater than, with only 30 calories per serving with just 6 grams of sugar, no fat or cholesterol. The key ingredient is the trendy coconut water: the clear, nut-flavored juice stored inside young coconuts. It has long been a staple liquid of Southeast Asian nations, dubbed 'nature's sports drink.'
'It quenches your thirst, hydrates, is a natural source of electrolytes and it tastes great,' Jon said.
Although the Siders might be just a little biased about the taste, others are quick to agree.
'Personally, I love the drink,' said Cole Stern, a three-sport star athlete at Highland Park High School. 'It tastes great.'
In their days at HPHS, the Siders played for coach Paul Harris. Jon played basketball and golf. Mark played golf for Harris before moving on to the pro golf mini tour.
'Both worked very hard and showed tremendous passion when they were competing,' Harris said. 'Those attributes set them up for success.'
As for the taste?
'My kids like it,' Harris said. 'My three boys each have a different favorite flavor.'
One of the biggest marketing days for Greater Than was provided by Weinstein, who once coached Jon at Joy of the Game.
'I was so impressed by their fire and desire,' Weinstein said. 'I told them to come in and see what the kids thought.'
The Siders were part of a fall showcase for top basketball players in the North Shore, where the proceeds went to the Joy of the Game's Foundation to benefit kids, particularly in the inner city.
'They got great reviews,' Weinstein said.
So far, the Siders have produced 72,000 bottles in their warehouse in Melrose Park. The headquarters is in their parents Highland Park home, while Mark and Jon reside in Chicago.
'We have a strong belief to make this happen,' Jon said. 'It drives us every day. We want to be the official drink of Chicago.'
Mark chimed in, 'Why stop there?'
