By COLlive reporter
It will be all natural, all kosher and all local.
Natural Treats, the newest store to open shop on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights, has a more loftier goal than just making money. They want to make residents healthy.
“We have lots of junk food places, but none that are healthy,” its owner Meir Duani tells COLlive.com. “I want to provide a healthy option for families that want this and to educate people about healthy foods and nutrition.”
The idea behind it actually originated from a setback in the Israeli-born Duani’s life.
Living in the neighborhood for 3 years now with his wife and 3 children, he had been working in the weatherization program of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) until he was laid off a couple of months ago.
“It was then when I realized I have to take charge,” he says and went on to open a new business in an area which has his interest.
“My wife was a nurse in Israel, and after our first child was born, we decided to lead a more healthy lifestyle for our children,” Duani says. “We stopped buying sugar and began being more health conscious. I read a lot of books and took classes on the subject.”
It didn’t take long until he was asking himself, “why is there no place on Kingston for a family to go for a snack or a treat that is healthy?”
His new store, set to open its doors this coming week, will be answering that question with a selection of frozen yogurt and fruit smoothies, natural ice cream, natural juices and energy boost drinks for different ailments.
“This will the first cholov yisroel healthy frozen yogurt ever,” he states. “I searched all over, even in other neighborhoods, and no one makes a healthy alternative to ice cream without sugar and without the chemicals or Splenda. I will make it myself right here in the store.”
Decorated in bright colors of strawberry and grass green, Natural Treats will also carry whole wheat and spelt sandwiches and organic coffee for those on the go for whom healthy is not a bad word.
“There’s a real need for this kind of place here in Crown Heights,” he says. “We want it to be a place where healthy food is also fun.”
when is this store opening!?!? i have been waiting since the sign was up!
I miss King’s Juice! I’ve been whining for weeks that there’s nowhere to get anything like that in CH anymore…. hatzlacha!!!
I’ve also been wanting such a store to open. One of my children voluntarily took herself off sugar since it makes her feel so bad, and when I take my other children out for a treat, she can never get anything. And I want all of my children to see how they don’t have to eat sugar. Hatzlacha Rabba!!!
I was waiting for a local cholov yisroel frozen yogurt store to open!!! Thank you!! My friends and I will be in there soon !!!
we know the zirkind in nj has a goat farm,perhaps you would be willing to make goat yogurt,can you ask the zirkinds to use glass bottle,,it’s better if its raw the milk
How can you compare this to King’s Juice? that place sold only juice… how much juice can you sell?… and it was dirty and really expensive. Ice cream, coffee, healthy sandwiches round out a menu to make it appealing to a wider audience than just juice! As long as its clean and normally priced, it will have the same hatzlacha as any other eatery on Kingston ave. Finally, a healthy option when you are hungry and running errands from out of town!
Many things are not they way of your fathers…. internet, iphone , touchtone phones, jet planes, I could go on. Why be so negative? This is a great idea, because it has health in mind. You don’t have to go there, though. I can respect your resistance.
excited about my next trip to CH!
#14, I wouldn’t eat there if it does NOT have CHK. I didn’t use the ice cream without CHK, the new ice cream store has it, so I buy there.
I’ll just have to move my belt buckle another notch…
Why don’t you wait until the store opens, go and show support – through your purchases and then maybe offer your suggestions! I am very excited to try out the healthy treats and hope the community will help this store bring healthier options for our families!
Im very excited about this store opening…. Can’t wait to come and try it out with my children!
health is coming, its not just a style, its the emes. learn rambam, you will see. it is ikar in Torah and its becoming emes in the velt. hope he will sell organic carrot juice and other juices?
to #14 are you crazy? yes chk can be a pain, but there is no reason a crown heights establishment should not have CHK, its our community and our hechsher, you dont like it, go somewhere else
to #38 vus hakstu in kop arein??? Meir and his wife are chassidishe mentchen. Part of being chassidish is following what it says in the torah and one of the things the torah mentions is “v’nishmartem m’eod l’nafshoseichem” -so which part of teaching the community about taking care of your body is not chassidish??
Please have delivery over $20 and gluten free sandwhiches/snacks- plan on healthy hostess gifts/shaloch manos/ etc- as far as the gluten free people are shlepping to boro park – it would be helpful to have more here-also have nice relaxing chassidish background music
What happened to little toes. Can’t see it in the pics
Open self serve salad bar charge by weight! That is great!!!
Please offer tea for us non-coffee drinkers.
Oh and if you have some type of slushie made with juice my kids will be thrilled and so will I that they are not drinking food coloring and sugar.
Another tip since so many ppl are comparing- a super clean store will go a long way for your target customer. Just sayin… Looking forward!
very excited…we really started eating healthier which unfortunately rules out outings to any nosh stores here in ch:( i hope its not too expensive because i remember that kings juice had drinks that were extremely high priced, which is understandable seeing as health food ingredients are costly. in a community like crown heights, however, the majority of people wont pay 6$ for a smoothie.
much success! thank you!
This is more central than kings juice and from the look of it will be cleaner and prob. better stocked and it seems that he has a good and well thought out plan.
looking forward for opening
ye so when he needs to make more money he will be selling healthy cereal 🙂 u know when a store starts selling cereal…
Kings Juice closed because it was managed poorly. Many times went there and it was closed in middle of day. Meir is a diligent worker it seems. All the nay-sayers will be surprised. Plus amazing he’s making his own ice cream-wow. A real entrepreneur!
Fruit
if you have soy or coconut or almond milk for the coffee I’m there! I love smoothies!
im with you all the way
Very exited to try!! I def think this will work in crown heights. Kings Juice was a while ago!!
People make the mistake of thinking that agave nectar is: 1)natural 2)low glycemic The problem is that it has more fructose than HFCS and although it is lower glycemic than sugar, it goes straight to the liver and causes insulin resistance. Some companies use chemicals to extract the nectar from the Mexican cactus plant and there is some speculation that these chemicals are not healthy. Honey and maple syrup is a slightly better sweetening choice but sugar is probably better than agave nectar. Hopefully honey and maple syrup will be sweetening options in the natural treats. I think that Mayor… Read more »
#56
He did not say a nasty comment, he was just stating the obvious. The obvious is, that he has to sell a ton of shakes a day JUST TO BREAK EVEN. That is neither nasty nor deluded, but the plain truth. I’m sure we all wish him luck, but the fact is that CH is not really a “health conscious” community… but who knows, perhaps with this store it could be
to # 43 its also green, besides, would you like a green smoothie or a fresh berry colored one?
finally! this is exactly what ch needs! there so many heaith conscience families. and who said healthy cant be tasty? it will good for everyone!
Get the schools to come on trips here and teach them about eating healthy and the kids will love it and keep coming back!!!
there is no awareness to health in the frum community and this is why thet give them in schools all that Libers junk nash.
מברכת על היוזמה
THIS IS GREAT!
To one of the comments above, there is nothing “chassidish” about eating junk food and being overweight!
Your a typical nosse person , why are you counting his money making your own calculations of if it works or if it doesnt what is it your business if you want to write a nice comment write if your looking in to how much he is making and what he is doing is wrong and low! stop counting peoples money , and do your own thing , you think your so smart and you came up with a number and opened a calculator and counted somebody else is business, stay with your stuff and i wish you the best… Read more »
If its spanking clean, it will be appealing!!!!
so excited to have such a wonderful alternative! always hard to be health conscious and still want to get out and buy some kind of treat! Thank you for taking the initiative! Wishing you much hatzlacha!
Please open early so students/professionals can get a healthy drink + snack on way to school/work.
YAYY!!! CANNOT WAIT!!!
Finally cholov yisroel frozen yogurt!!!!!
Pls say no to Splenda, Equal & Sweet’n low……….theyre all so bad for you!
we need a fresh juice bar (no pasteurized stuff please!)
and def a sugarcane juicer!
I’d much rather give my money to him than park slope goyim:)
all the bagels and pizza here!! Thank G-d for this….I’m starving!
clean and affordable will keep u in business.
good luck!
Thank you for offering the healthy alternative – People will appreciate it and learn a lot about their health because of you.
hatzlacha – cant wait
Hatzlocho! your store should be full of happy customers all day long 🙂
great idea hatzlacha rabba. I think if it tastes good and is well priced, even those not necessarily into health foods well come and get added benefit!
I hope the community will support this new venture and support their health so they don’t end up spending all their hard earned dollars on doctor and hospital appointments, G-d forbid.
Do you realize that just to pay his rent he will need to sell 100 smoothies a day? Rent is between 2500-3500, lets assume he charges 350 per smoothie, cost per smoothie is 150 (since he is making it himself with exotic ingredients) – 2000 smoothies a month will net him $4k, (500 a week, – 100 a day)… That is only to pay the rent, to pay himself, utilities, workers and everything else he needs to sell who knows how many carrot juices – which btw wholesome bagels sells or is supposed to sell. I hope they are smart… Read more »
It’s a bit girly. Can’t imagine many bochurim going to get sugarless health food.
cant wait to try it out!! sounds like a great idea!!
i love the idea, wish u much successes, if well maintained, – clean, well priced, new and good quality health, this place as a good shot.
and for all the negative comments, why post you personal useless pessimism?
Definitely a much needed addition to Crown Heights. Thank you for thinking about our health and creating such a nice place to enjoy Kosher treats. Hatzacha Raba!
I hope he is totally successful! I think if something like this is available and just as tasty as any other ice cream people will go for it regardless of the fact that they may not be health nuts. If the prices are right it will create people who will become more into it. I for one will patronize him, yes for health reasons. Wishing him hatslacha raba umuflaga!!!!!!!!! The pessimists can stay home with their thousands of calorie garbage foods.
way too modern, not chassidish at all. maybe good for the flip flops and bogaboos but this is not the way of our fathers!!
I think you should also have a lunch menu, salads, and breads that are healthy, or whatever – i only see mention of drinks and yogurt. i think kings juice did not work since no lunch and dinner foods, no foods that can stick with a person. we need both heathy and satisfying, which is not a contradiction
wow! what great news for our neighborhood. i would love to see franchises like this in all frum neighborhoods.
Im coming all the time
We will definitely patronize such a store! ABout time!!!
Crown Heights desperately needs this – and thank you for saying that splenda is not healthy. Too many ppl make that mistake. I agree – please open early for us working folks. Hatzlacha Rabah! I think the health-conscious population of Crown heights has risen significantly over the last few years – you have a real shot of making it!
How will he ever cover the rent…. (Unless the prices will be high)
Been waiting for years for someone to do this!!! Kol HaKavod. Finally there will be something healthy to buy that is ready made on Kingston!
I am sure it will be a great success and a model for other food businesses! Hatzlacha Raba !!!
it will do well….im sick of junk and ill-quality food in ch ther eis a huge demand for quality food and great customer service. …do you remeber the days when one walked into kingston bargain and you had to plead for service…they thought they were doing you a favor by shipping there…eventually they went out of business.
Why does your caption under the lead picture say it’s a smoothie and ice cream store and, and then the article says it’s not ice cream but frozen yogurt?
Tzali & Dovid as always great job on the sign.
Give suppliment options. Have different powder suppliments such as c booster, memory boost, etc and for extra charge people can add in suppliments. Sounds wonderful and wishing you much succes
We’re into healthy eating and love smoothies!!
As long as what he is serving tastes good and isn’t too expensive, he should have a great business.
The idea is great for a morning Juice and healthy cookies.
It’s a great alternative to junk food in the morning. Be there early, so that all the joggers, and the people who care about their bodies, that HaShem gave us. Have a “Natural Treat” in the mornings. Hatzlocha Rabbo (The Rambam is proud of you).
even better than the new sweet expressions
Cant wait to come
I hope it will be affordable
If he didnt open a healthy treat store, I would have!
So excited to try it!
I hope the prices are not through the roof- it very difficult to live a healthy lifestyle when that in turn makes you broke
organic lattes, cappaccinos, in sturdy to go cups
Open early close late.
Be organized and clean. Have drinks for diabetics etc. and you will susced
to #13
And where were all the people when King’s juice was open? This may have success for a month or two, but tachlis it’s a bad idea, wrong neighborhood buddy
for every ten cents lower you go towards the goal of affordability the quantom amount rises of clients populating your store.
think about it.
how many people used to crowd the bagel store. every time the price steeps lower the more people will crowd.
hatzlacha
the more posh youre store goes the more of a sore it is on the backs of a lower income community.
hatzlacha raba umuflaga
i hope you get for yourself one day a sugarcane crusher
I was with this guy in Bariloche a few years ago. Hatzlacha raba
I hope he gets a proper hechsher–not CHK! That way, everyone can eat there.
I disagree that this will be a flop ~~ I think that a lot of people and kids will eat healthier if it is available…
This is a brilliant idea…just don’t supersize the portions…
I hope you are open soon ~~
Anyone remember Kings juice? While I do wish him well, there is no way this can last. Crown Heights is not interested in healthy food, there may be a small minority that would, but not enough to let a business stay afloat
That is really great! Wishing you much mazal. one suggestion. I just hope you will carry soy milk options for coffee etc. No other place on kingston offers an alternative to milk in their hot drinks
I’m so pro this !!!!
nice to have a healthy alternative.
question: what do you use instead of sugar….not asking for your recipes just an idea of what I as a mother can buy
much hatzlacha
Take off the straw it gives a new place where birds can sit on
hatzlacha!
hope price is reasonable
Hatzlacha Rabba for this wonderful service to the community. I come in from “out of town” and welcome the opportunity to enjoy your healthy frozen yogurt and other treats!!
thank G-d
I can’t wait to see the products they will sell!!!!!
yea, that worked out well. crown heights doesnt care about health, ice cream shakes yes, health no