E29: Food Truck to Wellness Haven: Julian de Jong's Aruba Island Bowls Cafe Story

What makes Julian De Jong with Aruba Island Bowls Cafe a good neighbor?  

Fresh ingredients, artful presentation, and a passion for wellness converge at Aruba Island Bowls Cafe, Pittsburgh's vibrant haven for health enthusiasts and coffee lovers alike. 

Julian de Jong's journey to creating this unique cafe began with a personal health transformation. When his wife Rachel adopted a vegetarian diet due to health concerns, they discovered the incredible world of superfoods—nutrient-dense ingredients that not only looked beautiful but made them feel amazing. That revelation sparked a mission to share these benefits with their community, leading to the launch of their food truck in April 2023 (despite Pittsburgh's notorious spring rains) and eventually their brick-and-mortar location.

What sets Aruba Island Bowls apart is their unwavering commitment to freshness. Every morning at 6 AM, Julian and his team carefully source the best ingredients and prepare everything in small batches. Their creative process focuses on three essential elements: visual appeal (with artistically arranged fruit displays), perfect texture (achieving that ideal creamy-yet-fluffy consistency), and harmonious flavors (thoughtfully combining sweet, tart, and refreshing notes). The result? Smoothie bowls and drinks that aren't just Instagram-worthy but substantial, satisfying meals that fuel the body and mind.

Beyond serving delicious food, Julian has created a community hub where wellness thrives. The cafe hosts yoga classes, entrepreneurial meetups, and partners with like-minded local businesses to foster connection. As Julian puts it, "Our mission is to share the benefits of healthy living while creating a vibrant, supportive community of health-minded, goal-oriented achievers." Whether you're a fitness enthusiast, seeking healthier food options, or simply love gorgeous, flavorful meals, stop by Aruba Island Bowls Cafe to taste the difference that passion, freshness, and community can make. Follow them on social media or visit www.arubaislandbowlscafe.com to learn more about their menu and mission.

To learn more about Aruba Island Bowls Cafe go to: 

www.arubaislandbowls.com

Aruba Island Bowls Cafe

[phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a coffeeshop and acai bowl cafe?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Julian de Jong, with ArubaIsland Bulls Cafe.
Julian, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
It's going great, living the dream.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Very good Thanks for being here.
We're excited to learn allabout you and your business.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
So tell us about your company you and your business,
so tell us about your company.
So yes, we launched Aruba AllenBulls Cafe on April 1st, on
2023.
We started off as a smoothieand acai food truck in the heart
of the strip here in Pittsburgh.
Later did we learn that openingup a food truck in April in

(01:02):
Pittsburgh is not a great idea,because it was raining on us
every single day.
But uh, hey, that's how welearned and uh, we, we try.
Now we have our brick andmortar location as well.
We also do the food truck andit's been an adventure ever
since.
We look ourselves as we are anenergetic haven for coffee

(01:23):
lovers and health enthusiastshere in Pittsburgh.
We offer a diverse menu foreveryday delicious, refreshing,
healthy treats.
We also provide a lot ofplant-based options for
everybody, so we go from freshlyroasted coffee to breakfast
sandwiches to luscious smoothiebowls and refreshing smoothies

(01:46):
as well.
I would say what sets us apartfrom other types of businesses
here in Pittsburgh, it's ourunwavering commitment to ensure
quality and freshness.
We really focus on that everysingle day, and also one of our
main things is we focus onelements to make our products

(02:07):
unique, elements such as thevisual element, the texture
element and the flavor element.
That's why you'll find that ourbowls and smoothies we cut the
fruit in an artistic manner soeverybody can see how fresh it
is, how the inside of the fruit,and we place it up in a, I
would say, an artistic manner soeverybody can see how fresh it
is, how the inside of the fruit,and we place it up in a, I

(02:28):
would say, an artistic manner aswell to display the freshness
and the colors of the fruit.
In the texture element, weblend our bowls, our smoothie
bowls, every single morning hereand we play a lot with the
textures.
We don't want it too liquidy,we don't want it too icy, so we
play around with it as much asneeded so we can get that

(02:50):
perfect texture that is fluffyand creamy and rich in flavor.
And for the flavor elements allour combinations of our bowls
and smoothies we try to combinea little bit of acidity,
bitterness, for example, if itcomes with lemon, you make it
refreshing with some pineapple.
There's some treat bowls, forexample, that strawberry nutella

(03:13):
just go hand by hand.
So we fuse those together.
So you'll find in many of ouroptions and items that we really
try hard to mix the flavors asbest as we can to create the
awesome items we offer and, as Isaid, all of our recipes and
blends.
They are crafted in-house daily.
Every morning we wake up at 6 amand we really take a lot of

(03:36):
focus on acquiring the bestingredients.
So we have many differentproviders and we source
different fruits and differentitems from everyone.
For all the years of experiencewe've had, we choose the best
ones that we believe are thebest, the juiciest, the
healthiest ones, so we candisplay this as well.

(03:56):
And then by preparing ourproducts every morning, we also
ensure to prepare them in smallbatches.
Products every morning.
We also ensure to prepare themin small batches, and that is a
key component here with us,because in that way we can
ensure the freshness.
So that's means the world to us.
That's very important for us.
So we make everything in smallbatches pretty much for the day
ahead, every single morning, andthat's what the customers and

(04:19):
people in the community taste.
I would say me personally, Ialways can taste the difference
once something is freshly doneand not that really sounds
delicious.
They can taste the freshness andflavors literally in every bite
.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
How did you get into this business, Julian?

Speaker 3 (04:39):
So I would say I'd say it all began when my wife
Rachel she switched to avegetarian diet because of some
health concerns we had, and bydoing this, we started a lot of
researching.
So we searched for healthier,more mindful food options, and
then we discovered a world ofsuperfoods.

(05:01):
So once we got to see all thisthe vibrant colors, the
nutrient-rich ingredients andthen not only do they look
bright and beautiful, butthey're also delicious, and on
top of that, it made us feelincredible.
We knew we had something hereon our hands.
And then, after a lot ofexperimenting and research, we

(05:25):
started incorporating thiscolorful ingredients into our
daily lives.
And then the results wereimmediate we felt more energized
, healthier and, overall, just abetter quality of life the
experience life changing for us.
We knew right there and thenthat we needed to share this
with everyone we could.

(05:46):
So that is when, on April 1stof 2023, we really took a leap
of faith and launched our foodtruck with the mission to serve
delicious, nourishing food tofuel the body and mind.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Very nice.
Are there any myths ormisconceptions in your industry?

Speaker 3 (06:04):
Very nice Are there any myths or misconceptions in
your industry?
Well, I think the one we comeacross the most is that many
people, for some reason, theyassume that smoothie bowls or
smoothies are a light snack, nota full meal, and that's why
here at Aruba Alambos Cafe, wehave designed our menu and our
portions to be generous,satisfying and packed with

(06:34):
nutrients, and we also give thepeople the choice to they can
add protein to anything.
Pretty much we have differentprotein that they can add to the
smoothies, to the bowls, andthen, with the option to add the
protein and other powerfulsuperfoods, we make the meals
well-rounded and a nourishingmeal that can easily replace a
lunch.
So you won't be getting out ofhere hungry.
You will leave refreshed andleave full and energized for the

(06:59):
whole day, for sure.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
Very good.
So we know that marketing isthe heart of every business.
Who are your target customersand how are you attracting them?

Speaker 3 (07:12):
So for the marketing here at Aruba Island Bowls Cafe,
we are deeply committed tosupporting wellness and our
community within our community.
So how we approach it is, weproudly partner with a lot of
like-minded local businesses andoffer exclusive promotions to
their customers and supportersand communities.

(07:34):
We are actively we collaboratewith health, food or focus
organizations.
We've held yoga classes,wellness events and
entrepreneurial meetups,creating a vibrant, inclusive
space for health enthusiasts,creatives and small business
owners so we can all gathertogether here, connect and grow

(07:57):
together or, if you're just inthe mood, to come and hang out.
We also love that very much.
So we focus on more healthenthusiasts, goal-oriented but,
of course, everybody's welcomehere.
We're a very relaxed space.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
It sounds like you enjoy the community building
aspect.
Have you ever thought aboutcreating your own podcast?

Speaker 3 (08:20):
Well, to tell you the truth, I've always been a
little bit uncertain about that.
It's kind of like speaking inpublic, but it's something
interesting.
I've always been a little bituncertain about speaking in
public, but it's somethinginteresting and I'm always
looking to challenge myself andlearn and I think, thinking
about it, it sounds veryinteresting and this is
something I really like to do.
When I know something very well, I like to communicate that and

(08:43):
express that the best way I can, and it's always a learning
experience.
So that sounds very interestingactually.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
Certainly, I think you'd excel at it.
Outside of work, what do you dofor fun?

Speaker 3 (08:56):
So when this shop, it's a lot of time consuming.
So when I'm not here at theshop making sure everything is
in order, I'm doing someshopping.
We shop every morning to ensureeverything is fresh.
But outside of it, if I'm nothere, I would be at home with my
wife, Rachel, and our doggieCharles, and if I'm not at home

(09:20):
with them, then I'm definitelyat the gym, working out at the
gym.
For me, the gym has become morethan just a place to stay in
shape.
It's where I recharge mentallyand physically.
Every time I finish a session aday, I feel so energized, so
refreshed and ready to take outanything.
I think it's truly a key habitthat keeps me balanced and

(09:43):
motivated in both life andbusiness.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, I'm sure that a lot of your market is focused
on wellness too, so it's nice tokind of be in the gym too and
like enjoy that hobby thatprobably so many of your
customer base enjoys as well.
So, julian, please tell ourlisteners one thing that they
should remember about ArubaIsland Bulls Cafe.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
So one thing they should really know about us well
, we were a small, passionatebusiness based here in
Pittsburgh, and we definitelystarted from the grown-up, from
scratch, with nothing butdetermination, grit and a dream.
We poured our hearts intobuilding something meaningful

(10:30):
for us, something we have apassion for, and our main
mission and that's what keeps usgoing on, because we see how
people react, what people tellus, and that just fills us with
so much joy.
At the end of the day, ourmission is to share the benefits
of a healthy living with asmany people as possible, while

(10:51):
creating a vibrant, supportivecommunity of health minded, goal
oriented achievers.
We're here to remind you andeverybody that anything is
possible when you believe, whenyou truly believe in your vision
and if you, you give it yourall and you never stop moving
forward.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
I love that.
I love that you said that andit's really to you.
It seems like it's aboutbuilding a community of healthy
people, and the acai bowls arekind of a vehicle to do that.
So how can our listeners learnmore about Aruba Island Bowls

(11:31):
Cafe?

Speaker 3 (11:33):
Well, there are many ways, but one of the most
up-to-date ones or I think thathas the biggest influence
nowadays would be following allour social media platforms.
You can find us on Instagram,facebook, tiktok, and they're
all with the same name ArubaIsland Bowls Cafe.
And if you want to contact usor see what our items and menus

(11:57):
are all about, you can alsovisit our website,
wwwarubaislandbowlscafecom.
Or if you want to contact medirectly, I have always the
phone on me.
I get all the emails right awayand I try to get them as soon
as I can.
The email is info atislandbowlsus.
Or, if you have time, you canalways just swing by in person

(12:19):
and we're always happy to talkwith everybody.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Very good, Julian.
I appreciate your time todayand having you as a guest on our
show.
We wish you and the businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
I appreciate you, Thank you for the opportunity
and have a great rest of the dayeverybody.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPPittsburghcom.
That's GNPPittsburghcom.
That's GNPPittsburghcom.
Or call 412-561-9956.