Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ana Lucia Gonzalez, co-owner of Akaí Bowl, located in Ottawa, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a healthy food restaurant with two stores, one in Ottawa (Bayshore Shopping Center) and the other in Montreal (Eaton Center de Montréal). This summer we will launch our açaí trike that will be selling our delicious bowl in parks, events, and street markets around Ottawa!
Known as the Brazilian “superfruit”, AÇAÍ comes from the açaí palm tree, found on the riverbanks of the Amazon rainforest. This dark purple fruit, a staple in the diet of the native populations of the Amazon region, is famous for its high nutritional value and overall health benefits. Studies show that açaí pulp is a better source of antioxidants than other berries and a good source of iron, fibre, vitamin E, and potassium. Creamy and refreshing, it tastes like a cross between blackberry and chocolate.
Tell us about yourself
In 2019, Marcelo and I moved to Canada from Brazil. We brought with us our love of sports, nature, and a healthy lifestyle. But we were missing one thing... our daily açaí bowls. When we arrived in Canada we searched a lot for a place where we could have açaí similar to the one we were used to. We couldn't find it! Everything we tasted was too different from our açaí in Brazil. In 2020, we decided to create Akaí Bowl, a small family business.
My daily motivation: my client! I think it's awesome when my client comes to the store and tells me: "Uauuu, I love your açaí!!! Thanks for bringing it to Canadá." It's so good to know that I can give him/her a moment of pleasure. I want to ensure that my client can have the best experience possible.
It's not by chance that I wanted to design our stores as inviting and relaxing places, where you can relish your açaí while listening to nice Brazilian music. And our staff is trained to provide the best customer service experience possible.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Since we opened our first store in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I think our biggest accomplishment was to survive COVID-19. While many restaurants were closing, we were able to keep our doors open, thanks to our clients' loyalty. To open a restaurant under normal circumstances is a difficult task; to launch a healthy food restaurant during one of the worst health crises is much more complex.
Originally we planned to open Akaí Bowl in the summer of 2020 but because of COVID, we had to delay our plans. In October 2020, however, we noticed we could not wait anymore. The store was ready, we had 1 ton of açaí coming from Brazil and the staff was trained and anxious to start working. We opened in November and a few weeks after we had the first lockdown. We could keep our store open but just for takeouts and deliveries. Other lockdowns came but we held on to the belief that we should not give up. Thank God we did so! Now our challenge is to encourage people to return to the restaurants.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Some small business owners are very efficient concerning time management but I am not. I am not a workaholic but to run my business well I still need a lot of time, which keeps me away from other things that I love to do such as being with my family, doing sports, reading, and traveling. I think that this might change in the next years when my business might grow and I might be able to have a bigger staff with whom I may share responsibility. But for the time being, I have to be a multitasker who runs from the shop counter to the office.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be prepared as much as possible but be ready for a change to fit in (refine your business idea, write a financial plan and do market research, etc. but remember that things might go awry; don't panic, adapt yourself and/or your business idea).
- Invest in your staff by choosing them well, training them properly, and keeping them updated and motivated. Customer service is VITAL to the success of your restaurant business. Appreciate your team!
- Keep a close eye on the business' finance (if you're not a financial expert hire one to help you)
Where can people find you and your business?
https://www.instagram.com/akai.bowl/
https://www.facebook.com/akaibowl/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
