Smoothie Operator: Independent Blender Bringing Healthy Food To The Streets

NEW ORLEANS — Good food items and new music are staples of New Orleans, Louisiana.

However, that food stuff normally will come in the form of seafood, gumbo, jambalaya, king cake and beignets — items that make your style buds delighted and your waistline increase.

However, 5th Ward native Domonique “Dinero” Meyers offers a tasty choice to the city’s well known, but in some cases greasy fare. His Ascent Blends model of organic and natural smoothies experienced a modest get started on the sidewalks of New Orleans, just a blender and natural and organic fruits.

His attempts at healthier living didn’t go unnoticed — he recently secured a distribution deal with Rouses Markets that will before long see his smoothies and ginger photographs on its shop cabinets. (Rouses commenced in Houma, Louisiana, more than 40 years back and is 1 of the largest independent grocers in the U.S.)

Meyers — who prefers to go by Dinero — understands that wellbeing is prosperity and hopes his Ascent Blends will produce a healthier metropolis. He just lately talked with Zenger Information about the achievement of his organization, how the Rouses deal arrived to fruition and a great deal additional.

Percy Crawford interviewed Domonique “Dinero” Meyers for Zenger Information.

Zenger: Tell us about the name of your company and the mission guiding it. 

Dinero: It’s Ascent Blends everything is handcrafted, designed new day-to-day. We’re your jump-start out to turning out to be healthier. We are group-driven, and we treatment about your well being.

Zenger: From what I recognize, you have been building smoothies in the hood and that turned into some thing huge. How did it get began?

Dinero: Getting aware of my diet plan around the years, I started this company in July 2016. So, five several years ago, I was using on a pink scooter in my neighborhood, the 5th Ward. And I see a building that utilized to take care of motorbikes and scooters for lease. I said: “This could be a smoothie enterprise appropriate below.”

I arrived at out, talked to the operator and the quantities were being very good. But I actually was not ready to commence a business enterprise there. I experienced by no means even manufactured a smoothie to provide. The plan just variety of sparked. I worked at a nonprofit, so I requested a few persons there what I really should do. They explained: “Well, if you can’t get the constructing, just get started out by setting up a stand at the barbershop in the community.” And that is what I did.

They also told me to get high-quality elements. I preferred to make positive my smoothies are balanced. I wound up applying non-dairy agave, which is much better than sugar.

I began selling smoothies at the barbershop. They have been an prompt hit. I was out there 24/7, all above the city. I would have the overall sidewalk lined up with individuals wanting smoothies, which weren’t readily available wherever else. We did not have any balanced selections there — the 5th Ward is crammed with liquor outlets and fried foods.

I was operating out each individual day on the sidewalk, people were being signing up for in with me, and I also began functioning and carrying out 5K operates. We are undoubtedly about health and fitness training and informing all of our customers, leaving them with literature and inspiration on modifying their life style. It’s a lot far more than just a smoothie.

Zenger: Was it difficult to get these healthful smoothies to choose off in a city not recognised for having balanced eating choices? 

Dinero: it was a little bit complicated, but it was not really hard. About 3 or four years in the past, matters had been shifting in the town. You begun observing some much healthier options come close to. I assume that I experienced a ton to do with people remaining ready to have access to that variety of product or service. It will help that my smoothies really taste very good. I’ve had individuals searching at my inexperienced smoothie like:“Man, that issue possibly tastes awful.” Continue to keep in intellect, I’m working with the hood, so it was straight like that. It was: “Ugh, I really don’t want that eco-friendly a person, give me the pink a single.” But then they would style the green a single and discover out it is remarkable.

I truly shook the culture from comprehension that appears can be deceiving when it will come to things like a healthy smoothie. You have to give factors a attempt.

Zenger: How did the offer with Rouses occur about? 

Dinero: A person of my homies experienced a conference with Rouses about figuring out how to do some thing alongside one another. He brought in a several men and women who experienced companies now, from the farmers to persons who cooked to goods. He mentioned he preferred to do a seller marketplace each individual week or one thing like that at Rouses. So, I took the conference. I’m group-based mostly, and there were a lot of points at stake, as much as them righting their wrongs. So, if they were being inclined to do the undoing, I’m with it.

That was my total pitch in the conference. This is not just about me. It’s about developing alternatives for jobs. It was a choice I had to make for myself and others. We are about four or 5 months in now, and every single Saturday, we do the industry at Rouses on Tchoupitoulas. And very quickly, they will have my refreshing-pressed juices and ginger shots on the shelf in their CBD [Central Business District] locale.

(Edited by Matthew B. Corridor and Fern Siegel)