Chasing achievement and extra time collectively, highschool sweethearts and enterprise house owners, Ismeal “Ish” Le Dezma and Heidy De la Cruz have opened a brick-and-mortar juice bar in Forest Park. Easy-Ish, 7415 Madison St., serves up a wholesome and colourful collection of chilly pressed juices, healthful smoothies, and hearty smoothie bowls.
“We aren’t tremendous hippie,” laughed Le Dezma. “We don’t need Easy-Ish to be intimidating. We’d wish to introduce folks to a more healthy way of life and educate folks about unfamiliar substances like goji berries, however we at all times wish to be approachable.”
Whereas De la Cruz considers herself a “fruit and veggie convert,” Le Dezma recollects consuming an entire watermelon with a spoon as a baby. He was raised with a beneficiant yard backyard identified for producing an annual bumper crop of cucumbers and tomatoes.
“I by no means actually considered it earlier than, however as I little one my snacks had been contemporary backyard cucumbers sprinkled with lime and salt,” stated Le Dezma. “Vegetables and fruit have at all times been a part of who I’m.”
“It’s true,” laughed De la Cruz. “Each time we’ve wanted a snack, Ish says he simply needs a juice.”
Easy-Ish is a pure extension of Le Dezma’s childhood veggie-focused snacking and love of juices, however this can be a first foray into small enterprise possession for the engaged couple who’ve been Forest Park residents since 2017. Le Dezma works as a transport engineer and De la Cruz is a first-grade instructor at a Chicago public faculty. Each proceed to work fulltime of their respective careers whereas trusted household runs the juice bar throughout the week.
Le Dezma, who loved working in his uncle’s Mexican restaurant in his youth, started experimenting with juice mixtures and smoothie recipes throughout pandemic associated lockdowns. Over time his quarantine interest turned a extra critical endeavor and he and his fiancé turned targeted on making their juice behavior a viable enterprise.
“I’m all about Ish doing what makes him happiest and opening this juice bar is a part of that,” stated De La Cruz.
The duo hopes Easy-Ish will function an introduction to a more healthy way of life for some clients and change into a vacation spot for health-conscious residents and native households. The menu at Easy-Ish is made up of a bevy of interchangeable substances to create inherent menu flexibility. Juices are chilly pressed to order with practically two kilos of produce being utilized in a single serving. The COGA has confirmed to be a well-liked alternative amongst juice fanatics and contains a sunny mixture of carrot, orange, grapefruit and apple juice. De la Cruz is fast to suggest “The Beet” — a garnet coloured mixture of apple, beet, lemon and ginger.
The “banana and spice” smoothie is a inventive menu providing made with banana, almond butter, almond milk, date paste, agave, ginger and a warming mix of spices together with cinnamon, cardamom, anise, nutmeg. Since opening, nonetheless, filling smoothie bowls have been gaining in reputation. The berry bowl, with a base of mango, strawberry, goji berries, cashews, and almond milk, is a buyer favourite because of filling garnishes together with granola, bananas, chia seeds and a drizzle of almond butter.
For now, the recipes used at Easy-Ish predominantly function vegetables and fruit, however the house owners intend to introduce protein powders and collagen peptides to their smoothies and juices within the close to future. Moreover, the couple is growing recipes to honor their heritage. De la Cruz is worked up to supply a wholesome spin on morir soñando. The drink, historically constituted of lemon or orange juice with milk and sweetener, is a nod to the Dominican Republic. A wholesome riff on Horchata, a candy rice water beverage flavored with cinnamon, can pay respect to Le Dezma’s Mexican heritage.
Le Dezma and De la Cruz opened Easy-Ish in late December and have been having fun with a gradual enhance in enterprise. Opening throughout the winter months allowed the younger entrepreneurs to get aware of proudly owning a meals associated enterprise upfront of a pure enhance in enterprise throughout hotter months.
They prize Forest Park for its small-town allure and metropolis entry, proximity to household residing in neighboring suburbs, quiet way of life and neighborhood really feel. In addition they famous Forest Park’s variety was a draw when deciding on a spot to place down roots for his or her future household.
“We wish to add worth to Forest Park by taking part in neighborhood occasions and doing issues like sponsoring a T-ball staff,” stated Le Dezma. “We wish Easy-Ish to be a enterprise that enables us to worth ourselves and the neighborhood round us. Pleasing our clients is a prime precedence and we’re excited to be part of Madison Road.”
Easy-Ish is open Monday by way of Friday from 8am-5pm and Saturday-Sunday from 11am-4pm.
