Meet Malamazing Juice — Bridge Street Market

WRITTEN BY JORDAN KOSSUTH

Photo by Carbon Stories, courtesy of Malamazing Juice & Malamiah Juice Bar

Everyone has had that coworker or friend who starts showing up to lunches with their own homemade juices or smoothies, ready to talk about them at length to anyone who will listen. In 2012, Jermale Eddie sparked a conversation with a coworker who was doing just that, joking that based on the appearance, he wasn’t super interested in what it tasted like. His coworker recommended the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, which follows the journey of Australian Joe Cross across the United States as he works with a nutrition expert to regain his health and achieve a balanced lifestyle by following a 60-day juice cleanse.

Jermale’s interest grew as he continued learning about the nutritional benefits associated with fresh juice, and soon found himself purchasing a juicer and starting his own journey. He began making fresh juice at home for his family and sharing his newfound knowledge with friends, who were often inspired to join him.

One such friend decided to accompany Jermale in a 15-day juice cleanse – and after experiencing noticeable health changes, the friend continued into a full 60-day juice cleanse, ultimately losing 55 pounds and gaining the ability to discontinue several medications (with the guidance of a physician).

A juice cleanse is a set length of time in which one consumes raw juice to detoxify the body, jump-start weight loss, reset eating habits, and start healing your body from the inside out. An exclusive cleanse means all juice, all the time, and is a great option if you can cleanse without consuming whole foods. However, it is important to recognize the unique complexities of the human body – what is healthy for one person, may not hold true for another. It is always important to consult your family physician about any pre-existing health concerns, and to listen to your body. If you’re feeling light-headed, fatigued, or have concerns about blood sugar levels, you may want to do a partial cleanse, which allows for a light, clean meal in the evening, such as oven roasted chicken, soups, or salads.

In addition to the significant health benefits, the fresh juices made by Jermale were enjoyed by his entire family – so much so that his wife, Anissa, suggested opening their own juice bar in Grand Rapids to make the nutritional benefits of their fresh, vibrant juices more accessible to the community.

A STAR (JUICE) IS BORN

After reaching out to owners of local and nation-wide juice bars and taking some classes in small business development at Grand Valley State University, Jermale & Anissa Eddie launched Malamiah Juice Bar in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. “Malamiah” is a combination of the names of their three sons – Malachi, Nehemiah, and Josiah – who round out this family business.

The first juice made for sale at Malamiah Juice Bar was the Rise & Shine – a favorite of all three boys – made with apples, carrots, oranges, and ginger. These fresh ingredients lend themselves well to the vibrant color and great taste and contain nutrients to help boost the immune system and work as an anti-inflammatory. The struggle to get young children to eat their fruits and vegetables is real – but can be easier when hidden in a fresh juice!

Anissa’s favorite juice is The Champ, designed to detoxify the body through a combination of beets, carrots, leafy greens, celery, cucumber, and lemon. This combination was inspired by former Heavyweight Boxing Champ Muhammad Ali. (Fun Fact – Jermale grew up down the road from him in Berrien Springs, MI!)

BLACK HISTORY IN THE MAKING

In 2013, at the time of their opening, Malamiah Juice Bar was one of only 2 Black-owned businesses in the downtown area with a storefront – and the first Black-owned juice bar in West Michigan.

“We recognize that we are black history in the making,” says Jermale, “We’re trying to build our brand but seek to help others along this journey so they don’t make the same mistakes.”

The Malamiah mission is to elevate community wellness through healthy products, local partnerships, and youth employment. They look forward to being someone’s first great employment experience, building a framework of work-based mentoring and leadership development. Jermale highlights that when he was younger, he didn’t see many business owners or CEO’s who looked like him, so they are excited about the opportunity to inspire Black and Brown youth – including their own sons. Their dream is that this business can be a part of the legacy they pass on to their children.

Over the years, Malamiah Juice has been honored with a variety of awards, including the Nolan Groce Business Leadership Award from the Urban League of West Michigan. Their son Malachi, an only child at the time, took part in receiving the award for the family-owned business. During their acceptance, he somehow found the microphone and yelled “Thank you, Grand Rapids!”

Jermale recalls, “It was memorable, but also meant the most to us because our son got to witness Black excellence and be a part of that. Also, we were happy that our business and work was recognized by one of the oldest African American Civil Rights Organizations in the country.”

122 OAKES STREET SW

After 6 years in the Downtown Market, Jermale & Anissa expanded their storefront and introduced some additional menu items at their new location in downtown Grand Rapid’s Studio Park. While the pandemic has significantly decreased foot traffic in this area, they have gracefully pivoted in light of CDC guidelines, and currently offer in-store hours and exciting menu additions. Stop in to grab a juice, booster shot, or smoothie to start your day – and be sure to try out their overnight oats, parfaits, soups, and additional local fare like Granola Goddess Bars and Blacklist Bagels.

Photo courtesy Malamiah Juice Bar & Malamazing Juice

HEALING THE MIND, BODY, AND SOUL SOIL

Even with the added struggle of the pandemic, Malamiah Juice Bar is sure to give back to the community. In 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd and ongoing violence towards Black Americans, they donated 25% of the profits from their Justice Juice to the Minneapolis based non-profit organization Black Visions Collective. They have offered this specially made juice on several other occasions, donating a portion of their profits to Grand Rapids Pride Center, Bump to Birth Doula Services, and Baxter Community Center.

Malamiah Juice Bar also intentionally sources much of their produce locally. One of Jermale’s favorite partnerships is with New City Farm where they get all their leafy greens – picked fresh and delivered just a few hours later! The farm aims to provide job and life skills to neighborhood youth, who learn to take care of soil, plant, and harvest organic produce. In turn, these students come to Malamiah Juice to learn customer service skills and ultimately taste the fruits of their labor in juices & smoothies.

For anyone unfamiliar with the juicing process, produce is fed into the juicer, separating it into containers of juice and pulp. In areas like downtown Grand Rapids, composting brings its own challenges, so they often work with Wormies, a local composting business who specialize in vermicomposting (composting with worms), and help local businesses responsibly manage organic waste. Jermale also notifies local farmers and livestock owners so they can retrieve bags as needed. This pulp can then be used to put nutrients back into the soil in areas where lead or other contaminants may have made growing plants and produce difficult or hazardous.

FROM THE GROUND TO YOUR GLASS

Much of the nutritional value in fruits and vegetables comes from the skin, so after washing and prepping the produce, they are sure to keep food waste to a minimum. For example, in the Face Lift Juice (pineapple, cucumber, apple), pineapples help produce collagen and elastin to help repair skin tissue. The outer plant and inner fruit of pineapples also contain a group of enzymes called bromelain which reduces swelling and eases muscle/joint pain. While you wouldn’t pick up and eat an entire pineapple – stem and all – the juicing process allows for cellular absorption of nutrients that would otherwise be lost when digesting peeled/cut fruit.

Smoothies are another great way to start the day with these nutrients and to help reduce cravings by maintaining that “full” feeling for longer. Be sure to check out a family favorite, the Cocoa Elvis Smoothie! This decadent smoothie is made with cocoa powder, house-made peanut butter, banana, almond milk, yogurt, and agave.

JUICE ON-DEMAND

In addition to third-party delivery apps like UberEats & GrubHub, Malamiah Juice offers a subscription service to take the guessing and prep work out of keeping your fridge stocked with delicious fresh juices. It’s as easy as selecting frequency (weekly or monthly), flavors, and number of bottles! Before you know it, you’ll start getting favorites like Rise & Shine and Jazz & Blues made fresh and delivered directly to your home or available in store for pick-up.

Looking to offer fresh juice in a meeting or at an upcoming event? Malamiah Juice Catering can even provide you with a Juiceologist – a Malamiah Certified Juice Bartender who can provide insight on the juicing process and explain the flavor profile of your drinks!

**NOT JUST AMAZING – MALAMAZING!**

The community support that Jermale & Anissa have received has allowed for the continued expansion of their brand. Most recently, they launched their newest venture – Malamazing Juice. Through high pressure processing (HPP), they can maintain the nutritional value and fresh taste of these cold-pressed juices without using heat or additives.

With Malamazing Juice, what you see is what you get! Made with 100% fresh fruit and vegetables, and using lemon citrus instead of citric acid, the flavors listed on the front of the label are identical to the ingredients listed on the back. Each flavor was inspired by their storefront customers, and intentionally created to appeal to diverse customers. The names are memorable and relatable, all using some sort of familiar play on words. The wholesale production of these all-natural shelf-stable juices has allowed their foray into retail stores – such as Bridge Street Market.

At any given time, you can find all four flavors stocked in Bridge Street Market:

BEATS – Bust the negative effects of stress and improve heart health with this combination of apple, carrot, beet, strawberry, lemon & ginger. This juice is a tribute to the Black community’s music roots.
GLOW – Get your Glow Up going with apple, pineapple, cucumber, and lemon! These ingredients were handpicked for their ability to detoxify the body and tighten up skin – Sure to make skin with any level of melanin glow!
FLEX – Flex on them with this traditional green juice made with a balance of apple, pineapple, cucumber, collard greens, kale, celery, lemon, and ginger. This was inspired by their Southern Greens Juice – Jermale notes that he is most proud of their unique use of collard greens, the leafy green most popular in the Black community, joking that “it’s likely that no one has ever had them juiced!”
BAE – The perfect juice to wake up with – you’ll want to have it before anything else! Apple, orange, carrot, lemon, and ginger will jump start your day with antioxidants and vitamins.

Hot Tip: Jermale shared that Malamazing Juices are great add-ins for a cocktail or mocktail! Try adding Bae to ginger beer and vodka, or sparkling water to create your own Malamazing Soda. They especially work well with local spirits like Motu Viget Brut, Long Road Distillers Michigin, Stock Da Bar vodka, and Broad Leaf vodka!

Jermale and Anissa’s vision is to see their business serve as an asset to the local community – a community that continues to advocate for them. They look forward to gaining new customers who haven’t had the opportunity to stop into Malamiah Juice Bar with their expansion into wholesale Malamazing Juice already available at several local markets and cafes – including some Spectrum Health facilities.

“We are not only a fantastic Black owned business, we are a fantastic business in general. In fact, I stand behind the greatness – and juiciness – of our product 100%!” – Jermale Eddie

Check out the Malamiah Juice Bar website for more information about their juices and juice cleanse plans, and start healing your body from the inside out!

Please note: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Nourishing Your Body from the Inside Out with Malamazing Juices