Today we’d like to introduce you to Auriel Banister.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Auriel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am 27 years old and Chicago native. We live in a world with scarce healthy food resources. In some under-resourced Chicago neighborhoods, the child overweight population/obesity rates exceed 50%. With Bani’s Beets, my fresh juice bar, I have created a fresh and fun outlet to afford families a healthier lifestyle. No need to be discouraged when thinking about “eating healthy”, vendors like myself want to empower you through organic fresh food and drink recipes that taste great and are nutritiously satisfying.
Drinking fresh juice offers your body vital natural vitamins filled with living enzymes, essential minerals, antioxidants, and natural antibiotics. To ensure the best quality of juice, we scrub all our fruits and vegetables in a purifying bath before juicing while protecting the nutrients in a sterile glass bottle that is recyclable and free from chemicals like BPA, phthalates, PVC or polycarbonate.
Six years ago, I began a mission to make a positive impact in my community and the world. After completing a rigorous undergraduate and graduate academic career at DePaul University, I quickly learned the role of health within a robust economy. I earned my undergraduate degree double majoring in Economics & Marketing as well as my masters in Economics & Policy Analysis. Through my studies, I concluded that health would be the strongest indicator of the level of an individual’s contributions. Collectively, the fate of our long-term economic growth is a derivative of our mental and physical well-being.
Using beets as the base ingredient of all our signature juices, we realized we can help people integrate beets into their diet by the variety of juices I’ve created. My market research proved that the extent to which underserved communities are lacking healthier options. By selling our juices on the South Side and at local markets like Boxville and Sunday City Market, this not only gives people healthier options but also encourages them to make better choices about their health overall.
In 2018, I was diagnosed with lupus which serves a commitment reinforcement to my brand, Bani’s Beets. Aspiring to live a healthier life, I discovered that beets are essential for our liver, and the liver is the powerhouse of our body, supporting digestion and a healthy flow within the body. Beets are one of the few superfoods essential for a healthy diet, especially amongst those with compromised immune systems such as lupus patients.
As the founder of Bani’s Beets, I am dedicated to learning about, educating, and promoting foods that combat diseases and illnesses; to help build communities that are wealthy from the inside out.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been easy, there have been so many challenges. Some challenges revolved around navigating the city of Chicago’s licensing and inspection process, experience brick-and-mortar build-out delays and theft, financial setback, and so forth. Through it all, you have to find and re-find and sometimes redefine your focus, let the why you’re doing what you’re doing push you through it. As a woman in business, it is important to first know that you have the intelligence, grace, and strength to accomplish anything you put your mind to. With that, know that your strength doesn’t have to look like you’re independently carrying the world, remember to breathe, ask for help and perhaps find strength in being able to delegate responsibilities to help the growth of yourself and your business. My philosophy is that obstacles are nothing more than packaged opportunities!
Please tell us about Bani’s Beets.
Bani’s Beets is cold pressed fresh juice company that refused to adopt any shortcuts where the quality of our product is sacrificed. Health and wellness stand at root our core values. The success of our company is heavily predicated on our vow to never manipulate nature’s purity and provide a premium product.
We are organic, farm fresh and locally made. Our nutrient loaded juices are a quick, healthy, and tasty support to a healthier lifestyle. Each combination has been carefully designed to ensure our customers have a superior quality juice. We protect and seal each juice in recyclable glass jars.
Having a beet-based fresh juice company is something that sets us apart. Making beets more desirable and sharing healthier alternatives for our communities makes us very proud.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Witnessing entrepreneurship first hand through my mother influenced me, seeing a large part of my family lead vegetarian or very healthy lifestyles encouraged me and seeing environmental injustices, disadvantages and food deserts, motivated me.
Pricing:
- 8oz. Juice $6
- 16oz. Juice $10
- Gallon Juice $80
Contact Info:
- Address: Bani’s Beets
10305 S. Hale
Beverly Hills, IL 60643 - Website: WWW.BANISBEETS.COM
- Phone: (773) 599-9764
- Email: BANISBEETBOX@GMAIL.COM
- Instagram: banisbeets
- Facebook: banisbeets1
- Twitter: banisbeets
Image Credit:
Tiffany McPherson
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