To kick off Black History Month, Denise A. O’Marde and Fiex Thevenin of Cafe Juice Up, a juice bar located in Mattapan, MA, shared with us their background, business, and hopes for making a difference.
Tori Strickland • 3 min read
Denise A. O’Marde and a local business owner in Mattapan were inspired to start a juice bar during the summer of 2018. Shortly after their opening, however, the two decided to part ways. A couple of months later, Denise & Fiex Thevenin became acquainted through a mutual friend. They shared the common interest in reopening the juice bar with hopes of making an impact on their community. Through their rejuvenated vision, Café Juice Up opened in January of 2019.
What has been the community response to the opening of Cafe Juice Up?
D: Because our products are either natural or organic, and in today’s world, people are becoming more and more health-conscious about the food they consume, they tend to gravitate towards Cafe Juice Up. It’s like we’re a buzz; we’re a vibe! You know, people want to come and consume the healthy products that we’re providing for them.
How do you keep your prices affordable?
F: That is a really great question. So the keyword in what you just said is “to make it affordable,” right? Affordable versus profitable, not for either one of us to become millionaires or billionaires tomorrow or overnight. We both believe and join in something that matters. Whatever the rewards that will come down the line will be passed on. Denise is a mastermind at making sure that we’re able to provide the product that we’re providing and not lose on any of the taste or flavor while making sure that our ratios are controlled to the tee. We know that to say that we’re offering the alternative to what’s available, we can’t offer downtown Boston prices. So, it’s multiple sides to it, right. The side is doing the right thing, making sure that we’re putting something that’s available to the people that is enjoyable, but at the same time, also making sense of what we’re doing as far as the business end of it.
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D: We said in the very beginning that neither he nor I had any restaurant experience, which is quite true, but, by affiliating with the City of Boston and with Commonwealth Kitchen, we have participated in various programs that have helped us to develop our knowledge and our skills in the food business.
F: One of those things that we’ve learned is access is important, right? Because if you’re not granted access to these things, then you have no idea what’s going on. And it reminds me if we were doing something that was different than what we were doing, would we have been a part of those circles? So access is important, no matter what you’re doing, because if you’re not given access, then you’re going to encounter so many different roadblocks, especially as people of color. So that’s really important that we make sure that we are doing the right thing, that we represent our company in the best way possible, the company itself is top tier, and we’re providing a consistent, reliable product.
I don’t want for [anyone] to come to Cafe Juice Up because it’s black-owned. I want you to come and support it because it is an establishment that is doing something right because of the product itself, the aesthetic, the smell, the feel, and the taste because all of these things matter when you walk in.
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To learn more about Cafe Juice up, visit their website here.