Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Ellis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Christina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Sip Organic Juice Bar is a place where people can come to get healthy juice, and smoothies. Our mission is to be a local “resource for healthy options”. We do not compromise on quality, and we believe what you put into your body matters. Investing in your health is a optimal way to stay ahead in this fast paced world, and we are here to provide; high quality, organic, customizable, and sustainable products. Feeling sick? Go to Sip! Feeling crummy from the weekend, come to Sip! We’ve got all the products to meet your needs!
Christina , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, my name is Christina Ellis and I purchased Sip Organic Juice Bar in December of 2019. I have been married to Sean Ellis for 15 yrs and we have three beautiful children! I graduated from Davenport University in 2013, with an Associates in Science. My journey with health started when I was a child, I was curious about the definition of Organic and I could not understand why we would be purchasing our fruits and vegetables that had chemicals sprayed on them; I was 8.
Fast forward to having our children, I knew I wanted to prioritize eating healthy and teaching them about the benefits that come with a ‘cleaner’ lifestyle. I was so passionate that I started to research and discovered other like minded people. Just the pure connection of wanting to be healthy (physically, mentally ,emotionally & spiritually), was enough for me… or so I thought.
After Sip Organic Juice Bar opened its first location, I was in love. It resinated with everything I believed in, how cool was it that someone else had the same passion, knowledge, and drive to provide this to other people? It was encouraging and motivating to find what I was meant to do. Sip originally opened in 2012, so about 6yrs later is when I had the idea…”what if I can buy Sip’?
Sip’s products are one of a kind, we use all raw and real food only. We never compromise on quality, and only source the highest ingredients. Our juices and smoothies are made fresh to order and we customize anything the customer needs. We also have healthy immunity boosting elixirs, detoxes, juice cleanse, espresso and have lots in house made items; such as salads, and bars and our speciality treat known as our truffles. P.S even our Acai Bowls are healthy!
People come to us because they can trust our products, they know what they are getting and the quality that it comes with it. We all know by now that buying produce and storing it in your fridge it goes bad quickly or consumers are not using it up in time. Buying fresh produce comes with intentionally planning your meals and budget. I believe we provide convenience for our customers who just so happen to be busy but don’t want to settle for something unhealthy.
We love our customers and here at Sip and we strive for excellence in our customer service. It’s important for us to get to know our customers. We provide a friendly smile, great conversations, and fast service. We know you have somewhere to be, so it’s a requirement that our Baristas are quick and efficient. Besides the quality of our products its the quality of our customer service that sets us apart from most companies. We’re a small business, and I am extremely proud to say that, I love that I don’t have a “franchise” to teach me how to run the company. The standard expectations come from leadership, and there is beauty in creating the atmosphere and experience your customers will perceive.
Here at Sip we want to be a part of your life, even if you’r exploring the ‘healthier’ side of things. We are educated and can answer your questions on our products and can make recommendations on where you’re at. Come on in and check us out, we would love to meet you!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Covid! I purchased the company in December 2019, In March 2020 the whole world shut down. I was a newly inexperienced business owner who was just learning the ins and outs. I believe everyone struggled from April-Sept with not knowing what we can and cannot do. For example; remaining six feet apart, but still working closely with others was a challenge. While the bills kept coming, sales were down. How are we suppose to make a rent payment, payroll, taxes etc. when society was at a halt?
I decided that I had to be open, I had a healthy product that was made to help support people; specifically during this time. So I ran with one employee for about eight months. We slowly got busier, and more steady. It was an extremely difficult time but resilience is how we survived. I would say it forced me to learn the business, be patient, and be humble! Very thankful for the learning experience behind that!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believe being a hands on business owner creates a reputation within the company in of itself. But doing just that shows my customers that they are receiving the highest standard of product we can provide. Surviving Covid, extreme produce inflation, and employee turn over rates, consistency has been the reputation; even through those struggles we stayed consistent in our quality and customer service.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.siporganicjuicebar.com
- Instagram: Sipjuicebar
- Facebook: Sip Organic Juice Bar
Image Credits
Grace Sinen: Grace Photo & Design