Today we’d like to introduce you to Sohail Basirat.
Sohail, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Having an entrepreneurial mindset from a young age I always wanted to open a business that would benefit my immediate community. After graduating from UT Dallas in late 2013, I went into the investment management and fixed income world. I spent two years working in that field but felt the need to start my journey as an entrepreneur.
It was time to bring to life the I Love Juice Bar concept in my own neighborhood, as I myself currently reside in Lakewood. With the beauty of White Rock Lake and a highly active community, I felt this was the perfecting landing spot. I Love Juice Bar is overwhelmingly vegetarian, gluten-free, organic when possible, and always uses 100% whole fruits and vegetables. Simply said, we are “I want to eat healthy and feel great” type place. With the amazing support of the East Dallas community, we now have a second location not too far away at The Shops at Park Lane.
Every day I get to hear fascinating stories from our guests, young and old alike, regarding how our smoothies, juices and healthy food have changed their lives. What amazes me, even more, is the dedication our staff has toward the lifestyle we are promoting. We even have a team member who has lost over 50 pounds in less than a year of working at I Love Juice Bar. I am beyond blessed to be an owner of such a great company and I hope to continue to spread the message of healthy fruitful eating.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a business owner, you can’t expect it to be smooth sailing all the time. Whether it’s addressing produce suppliers, landlords or equipment breakdown, there will always be bumps along the road. My personal mindset is not to get too happy in the good times and not too sad in the bad times. One vivid example that comes to mind is a recent power outage we had due to storms, where we were without power for 2-3 days. Normally, you would expect an owner to panic and lose their head. But in times like this, you just have to focus and solve each problem at a time. Whether it’s moving produce and frozen items to a location so that they won’t go to waste or finding a way to get the word out to our guests.
You just have to stay level headed, because worrying will never solve your problems.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I Love Juice Bar prides itself on being the premier fresh juice and smoothie bar in Dallas. Not only are our products made with fresh whole fruits, but we never add any syrups, sweeteners or ice to any of our products. Yes you heard correctly, our smoothies don’t have any ice in them, in fact, they include the frozen fruits such as bananas, strawberries, mango, pineapple or blueberry.
And all our juices are made fresh every day, guaranteed. We don’t believe that three or five-day-old juice is great to drink. Oh and if you want a custom juice made to perfection, just ask us, we can make it happen right in front of you.
But honestly what I am the most proud of, is when I hear from a guest about how their lifestyle change has affected their overall wellbeing. We have had guests who are no longer taking diabetes pills after becoming avid juicers. I Love Juice Bar has become more than a business, it is a community hub for health and wellness.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One of my proudest moments so far has been seeing the people closest to me become healthier as a result of I Love Juice Bar. My mom used to suffer from high blood pressure and other health problems, but as a result of being around the juice bar more often and exercising more, after a recent doctor’s visit, all her health metrics have normalized.
Pricing:
- Real fruit smoothies starting at $6.50
- Rewards program with weekly 50% promos
- Fresh juices starting at $6.50
Contact Info:
- Address: I Love Juice Bar Lakewood – 7324 Gaston Ave. Ste 123, Dallas TX 75214 I Love Juice Bar Park Lane – 8018 Park Ln. Ste 120, Dallas TX 75231
- Website: www.ilovejuicebar.com
- Email: dallaslakewood@ilovejuicebar.com
- Instagram: @juicebarlakewood & @juicebardallas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juicebarlakewood/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/i-love-juice-bar-lakewood-dallas-4
- Other: https://togoorder.com/web/2232#/
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
