Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jermale Eddie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jermale thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Google defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose”. We believe that in order to achieve success, one must first define a goal, purpose or destination. Let it also be known that one may choose to have several different goals in mind. Once those definitions are in place, you can then create a road map, which will serve as a visual on how far along you are in the journey toward the destination. Therefore, success takes planning and the accomplishment of both realistic and audacious goals. Success can be found in how far you’ve come and/or how close you are to the destination. For Malamiah Juice Bar and the Malamazing Juice Company, our goals can also be summed up in the values of our J.U.I.C.E. Culture: J= Joyful Environment
U= Understanding of how to meet our customer’s needs
I= Intentional ingredients and interactions
C= Community engagement
E= Excellence in service

Jermale, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Founded in 2013, by Jermale and Anissa Eddie, Malamiah Juice Bar was created to be an asset to the community and to elevate community health. Their products include juices, detox programs, smoothies, Acai bowls, salads and more. Owned by the business trifecta of Jermale Eddie, Kris Mathis and Randy Otterbridge, Malamiah has 2 locations in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Not only do we provide a variety of products to our customers, we also love to let our “creative juices” flow (pun intended). This flow comes in to form of customer juices for any occasion. We are often called upon to create a unique juice for various organizations and businesses throughout the region. These juices may contain edible glitter, activated charcoal and unique fruits and/or veggies.

We are also very proud of our sister brand, Malamazing Juice Co., one of the only Black-owned wholesale juice companies in the country, with store placement at over 20 retail locations in and around West Michigan. The Malamazing juice concept was birthed out of the huge demand for greater access to our juices, from around the country. It finally launched, in the spring of 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, we seek to be a place where all (customers and staff) feel welcomed to be who they are. Our juice bars are simply micro-community centers, where individuals can gather, drink (juice…and smoothies) and be merry!

We like to say that our juices are not just amazing, they’re Malamazing!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We built our company’s reputation by simply being present in the community. In the very beginning, we made it a part of our mission to partner with organizations and other businesses who were out in our community doing good work. We were intentional about asking questions of who would be the audience at each event so that we could serve products that would most fit their tastebuds. Let’s face it, some people love the earthiness of fresh beets and others…well…..(you get what we are saying). Again, from the beginning we were committed to being a present asset to our community and we still prioritize that to this day!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When the COVID-19 pandemic shook the foundation of the country, it about buried the food/beverage industry. After receiving the executive orders from the state’s Governor to close the doors to the public, we had to think creatively on how to move forward. We had bills, vendors and staff to pay. As a result of that pressure, two days later, we launched Malamiah Store to Door. Instantly, I (Jermale Eddie, Co-Founder/CEO) went from the administration side of business to becoming the delivery person. This meant that I made every single delivery within a 10 miles radius, using my Honda Pilot. As long as the community wanted to get “juicy”, I made it happen! (Special shoutout to our staff at that time).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://malamiahjuicebar.com & https://malamazingjuice.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malamiahjuicebar & https://www.instagram.com/malamazingjuice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malamiahjuicebar & https://www.facebook.com/malamazingjuice
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/malamiah-juice-bar
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/malamiah-juice-bar-grand-rapids

Image Credits
Teri Genovese Photography Germination Labs Jermale Eddie/Malamiah Juice Bar