We revisit Sharif Rasheed & Safi Juice

We first met Sharif Rasheed two years ago as he was just launching his business. He is young, has a determination like few others have, and no quit in his vocabulary. We caught up with him at his newly opened store in Garfield.

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Well, it’s been a long journey but here you are in a brick and mortar location. We first featured you in issue #12, how does it feel?t
– The feeling is great! It has been a long journey to get the doors open. When the doors opened on November 1st it felt like coach calling me into the game. I have always been a hard worker and seeing my dream becoming a reality was a very emotional time. I am excited to let people be part of my dream.

Tell us about Safi Juice, what makes it different from other similar shops?
Here’s a couple of reasons:
– Safi Juice is an organic-based juice company in Garfield. The focus of Safi Juice is providing healthy and delicious organic products.
– The foundation is built on the idea that health is for everyone. Health scares a lot of people by overwhelming them with this new diet, fad, etc. Safi Juice is here to simplify health for people. We meet you wherever you are on your journey to becoming a healthier individual by providing delicious and healthy products.
– I cant speak for other juice companies but Safi Juice is a juice bar. There is no seating in the shop because it is a grab and go shop. We focus on making everything in house. Safi has a 3-4 day shelf life (depending on the product).

Has the Garfield community been supportive? -A lot of good people in this neighborhood. Engaging with customers is one of the perks of owning a shop in this community. The people here have accepted Safi and I love getting out and meeting new business owners and locals.

I know you mentioned some frustrations during the build-out, what stands out?
– It was a long journey to get the doors open. A lot of back and forth with my contractor but since the doors are open now my focus is on making this a shop that is here to stay.

What keeps you going when you hit walls?
– I have come from the lowest of lows. It has been a long journey. Building this from the ground up by myself (with the support of a select few) is my motivation. When times get hard I just remember where I have come from. Stay humble and work harder is my motto.

Have you set goals for 2018, what do you want to accomplish?
– I have a list of goals for 2018 but the biggest one is launching my clean eating program in January.

www.safijuice.com