Today we’d like to introduce you to Camilo Celis.
Hi Camilo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My brothers and I grew up in the produce business. My father owns his own wholesale produce company in West Palm Beach, and we always helped him whenever we could. As time went on and after various jobs, we decided to take that leap of faith and start our own business. Although we were more familiar with the wholesale side, we wanted to take a more retail approach because it was important for us to interact with the customer and create a welcoming environment. From day one, our community was our main driver and inspiration, and we continue with that to this very day. After finding our first location in West Palm Beach, Celis Juice Bar was born and a few years later opened up our second store at the Royal Poinciana Plaza.
When we opened our first location, we offered only three options of smoothies and juices. After many years of listening to our customers and experimenting in the kitchen, our menu has expanded greatly. Along with more fresh pressed juice and smoothie options, we’ve added breakfast sandwiches and burritos, acai bowls, lunch sandwiches, avocado toast, and an espresso bar.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business is never smooth. You’re gonna come across setbacks and moments where you have to be patient with the flow of business, especially when you first start. No business booms overnight. It’s always a game of trying to make the best decisions that will best benefit the business and your customers’ experience, all the while trying your best to prevent a loss. It’s all a learning process and you will always learn things as you go, no matter how many years you’ve been operating.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Along with Co-owning Celis Juice Bar, I also manage our Palm Beach location at the Royal Poinciana Plaza. I, along with my staff, make sure the store is a well-oiled machine. Daily tasks include placing orders with our distributors, keeping track of inventory, keeping up presentation in-store, and my personal favorite, providing amazing service for our customers. We are always communicating ideas on how we can improve the store whether it be for the customer’s experience and/or making daily tasks and responsibilities more efficient. We’re always trying to better ourselves not just as individuals but as a team.
One thing I’m known for is always being in a good mood. I love being at the store, working with my team, and making people’s day whether it be from a casual conversation at the register, or serving them their order that they’ve been craving for lunch. It’s the simple things that bring me the most joy.
I’m most proud of seeing our family name on our front doors. There are no words to describe how proud and thankful I am for what we have accomplished and for the amount of community support we’ve received over the years.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is being able to call your work your passion. It’s one thing to go to work, clock in and out, but if you truly enjoy and appreciate what you do, there’s no better feeling. It’s something that everybody strives to find.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.celisjuicebar.com
- Instagram: @celisjuicebar
- Facebook: Celis Juice Bar
Image Credits
Alex Celis
@yomrcelis
@celisjuicebar
