We recently connected with Lamonte Yates and have shared our conversation below.
Lamonte, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
One of my hobbies, which is biking, led me to the idea. I was riding with my son on the bike trail in Varina and a guy invited us to ride with a group of bikers on a Sunday. We went that Sunday and there were at least 300 bikers. It was like a community of people just riding bikes every Sunday. After a few hours of biking, we’d all go out for a fresh juice or a smoothie and just hang out. I was already juicing at home but having a juice with a community of other people just felt like a sense of belonging.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I enjoyed riding my bike and would stop to get fresh juices with the other riders. During the pandemic, I decided that this was my opportunity to do something I enjoy and through service. I already juiced for myself so I sort of knew the process. I had the name in mind but for help with the creative foundation of the business, I brought in my sister and my niece, who sketched out some ideas and collaborated with a local design studio in Richmond for our brand design. I also knew who I wanted to cater to. Growing up, there weren’t many options so I wanted to provide that for my community. Giving them options and teaching them how to get the nutrients they need through juicing. I’m mostly proud of the new people I get to meet that pop into the bar for a Blacker the Berry juice.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Although I was juicing at home, I knew it would take a bit more when juicing on a large scale. Research was very important before starting. I bought books on juicing and watched other small juice businesses who have documented their start in the industry. During my research, I came across Goodnature. Goodnature is a juicing company that has been around since 1973. Not only do they provide high-quality juicers, they have an in-house chef, who helped us develop our recipes, and a community of professional juicers who are either starting out or have a great deal of experience. They’ve played a role in Blacker the Berry. Ultimately, I purchased a cold-press juicer and got to work. We learned a lot about how to preserve our juices, the best practices to use when juicing, the shelf life, pasteurization. It was a lot of trial and error but learning continues to be a fun process. If I learned anything, it’s that quality matters.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth has been my best source for getting new clients.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Blacker the Berry Juice
- Facebook: Blacker the Berry Juice Bar
