When 2020 gives you lemons, you squeeze it with purpose. Right into the enormous papercut that the year 2020 was.
And that’s exactly what owners of Intentions Juice Bar & Smoothie did. But it’s ok! Because although that papercut burned and itched, it’s also healing.
With a new year comes a strong desire to shed the person and habits we were before and become something new.
We’re all starting to catch on though. Resolutions and “new year, new me” are a thing of the past. In fact, saying the word resolutions almost feels like yelling a cuss word in the middle of a Zoom work meeting. Feels good to say, buuut you one thousand percent should not.
Resolutions always start off with a bang then leave you wondering how things went wrong so fast. Mid-year they start staring at you with all the judgement of a Netflix, “are you still watching?” pop up.
But Intentions? Now that’s something we all can get behind. It’s a healthier way to start your day – literally. Intentions Juice and Smoothie Bar connects positive mindset to delicious, wholesome juices and smoothies.
Owners and husband and wife duo, Marquita and Lionel, wanted to challenge people to start their day intentionally. When they opened on October 17th, 2020 they had a mission to build a community centered around purposeful living.
Marquita says, “When I first came up with Intentions as the name for our business, everyone hated it! But, it’s about motivating people to see the power in their choices and how that can impact their day-to-day and life.”
The name of their business was also inspired by the word Marquita chose for the year 2020 – Intention. A tradition that started in 2019 with the word Vulnerable. For the year 2021 she has chosen the word Becoming.
Before starting a juice and smoothie bar, Marquita was a surgical technician running a nanny service on the side in Seattle. With her hectic work schedule, she saw how easy it was for her health to become less and less of a priority. Along with her cousin, they decided to experiment with juicing in an effort to heal and become more intentional about what was put into their bodies.
She didn’t want to be the only one drinking from the juice of wellness and good health. So, she began encouraging friends and families to join in.
“I’d go with my big lunch box to work with different juices for different people. If you had migraines, I got you. If you had low energy, I got you too!”
When they had the opportunity to start a smoothie and juice bar in Tacoma, they seized it like the last toilet paper in Costco – Covid-Quick!
Now, at just four months since their opening, they find themselves in a new year, with a new daughter, and a new home in Tacoma.
But, running a business in the time of Corona is not without its challenges. Still, Marquita and Lionel have found a strong connection to their customers and the sense of community in Tacoma. They plan to continue educating the community on the benefits juicing has on jumpstarting your health and living intentionally.
Some of their plans include a Secret Menu which will allow customers who have created delicious smoothies or juices the opportunity to have it named after them or the intention behind the custom drink.
“If you come in and you’re like, ‘Whew! I need something for mom-brain!’ And you create a drink we like, then we’ll let you name it.”
As the husband and wife duo work to grow their business, they couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. Or rather, become, of 2021 and their baby. Both their business and their real life baby, Isabella.
“Becoming is endless. It’s every single day. I’m trying to make sure we’re becoming a place for the community to feel safe and know that we’re here for them, that we serve every lifestyle diet, and we’re family-friendly.”
Looking to start your day with Intentions? Check them out below:
https://www.intentionsjuicebar.com/
FB + IG: @intentionsjuicebar