Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
NORWOOD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The owner of Maha Juice Bar, located in Franklin, Cambridge, and Norwood, has reached out to customers for help.
Marci Pastorio first opened Maha Juice Bar in 2018, where at first, she recalls that the business was booming.
“I had people driving an hour from the Cape to come eat my acai bowls,” said Pastorio.
Since then, many juice bar chains have opened in the surrounding areas. Pastorio believes this could be an issue.
“This year, our sales have dropped 35 percent,” said Pastorio. “They have the capital that I don’t.”
While she’s not in danger of closing, it’s the job cuts she’s worried about.
“And it’s very hard for me to say ‘hey, I’m going to have to cut down your hours because we’re not busy enough.’ These people rely on this job, this is the only job that they have.”
With these issues looming overhead, Pastorio decided to send an email to her customers, asking for help.
“When I first came to the United States in ’04, I carried the American dream in my heart. I was a young woman from Brazil, full of hope and ambition,” said Pastorio, reciting the email. “Maha Juice Bar isn’t just another juice bar. It’s a heartbeat in this community, and that heartbeat is you.”
Pastorio isn’t asking for donations, just customers.
“You need them, I can’t do this without them,” said Pastorio. “You need them, I can’t do this without them.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.