Malamiah Juice Bar: Mobile Juice Bar For The Win

The news is not the only thing that is on a 24-hour cycle. As our city continues to grow and more transplants move to Grand Rapids, our city is staying up later and waking up earlier. Whether it’s a busier work schedule, events, or longer commutes, our time gets squeezed from different ends. Combine a busy schedule with a dash of stress, and you have the recipe for poor eating habits.

Surely there’s nothing wrong with a bit of comfort food every now and then, but it can be hard to stay healthy when we live fast lives and need food fast, but we don’t want fast-food. There is always the super trendy Soylent option for those on the tech vanguard, but with only two flavors, it can be lacking at times.

For almost four years, Malamiah Juice Bar has provided the downtown area with convenient fresh juices and smoothies. After a win at the local entrepreneurial pitch competition 5x5 Night last winter, the team is ready to launch their latest division of their business. A mobile juice bar will be hitting the streets soon to provide juice to those who find themselves just a bit out of walking distance from the Downtown Market.

Malamiah Mobile Juice Bar wants to provide its array of products to a wider audience by bringing the juice...literally.

We caught up with co-owner Jermale Eddie to get the scoop on the latest addition to the business.

When we last touched base there was talk of a food truck, why the change to bikes?

We recognized that the prize money that we won was just a drop of "juice in the cup" compared to the actual cost of a truck, equipment, and permits. We wanted to be true to the concept of "going mobile" like we stated, we just did it in a smarter and more economical way...kind of outside the box—like we normally do things. When it’s all said and done, we pitched, we won, we refined ,and we bought a bike! Juice + Bike = A Healthy Lifestyle Business that is visible in the community.

What area will you be covering with the bike(s)? Will you be riding it yourself?

At this time, I am piloting just this one bike to see how things go. I am able to post up at one location within the downtown area, but I can actually drive it around the rest of Grand Rapids. We originally planned to use our bike to attend special events. However, depending on the demand, we may be out and about more than we thought. We also hope to pop up on the Lakeshore and other area of West Michigan as requested. It’s a good way to test the market. We may also use it to get into some business, office, and home deliveries.

Will it have a regular route and time?

Not at this time, but we are about the community. If the community wants more Malamiah, then hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Email or stop in at our shop in the Downtown Market to let us know!

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Mobile Juice Bar this summer as they ride through the city offering freshly squeezed juice.

Ken Miguel-Cipriano is Rapid Growth’s innovation and jobs editor. To reach Ken, you can email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.