By Ginger DeShaney

A visit to Tenerife in 2019 sparked a dream that Nicole Jankowski and Anxhelo Taho have now brought to life in South Boston. 

“We had the best time and we were only there for three days, but it was so much fun,” Nicole said. On the last day, they found a juice cafe right on the water. “It was just beautiful,” Anxhelo added. “The atmosphere was great.”

Nicole, who was 19 years old at the time, knew right then: “We need to take this home because I don’t know of any place like that.” 

Bamboo Beach Juice Bar opened Thursday, Jan. 26, at 687 E. Second St. in South Boston. The shop features juices, smoothies, acai bowls, wellness shots, and three types of toast (peanut butter, avocado, and pear). Everything is fresh, naturally healthy, and delicious.

The world-traveling couple, who met in college, bring the feelings they felt in Tenerife to their shop.

“There’s just people walking by going to the beach. The whole environment is carefree,” Anxhelo, 24, recalled. “It’s a beach town so everybody’s just there to enjoy themselves. The sun’s out and you had the beach next to the waves hitting and it was just like a vibe.”

Nicole, 23, added, “For me, it was a feeling. We just had the best three days … the people in Europe, in general, they work to live. And it really shows. And that’s what we wanted to bring back here because sometimes people live to work. So we wanted to do the opposite. 

“We want people to come in here and just forget about their problems for a little bit.”

After that trip, they started drawing up logos, Nicole started putting together a menu … “all these crazy things that kids do,” Nicole said. “Then we came to realize that we’re still in school. We have no money. So we decided to put it on the back burner.”

In 2021, Nicole graduated from UMass-Boston with a degree in psychology and Anxhelo  graduated from Suffolk University with a business economics degree.

But they didn’t see futures in those career fields, said Nicole, though Anxhelo’s business background has been vital in this endeavor. They didn’t want to be in cubicles working 9-5 every day. 

After graduating, Nicole, who has been in the restaurant industry for eight years, went back to the restaurant she worked at during school and Anxhelo worked various jobs to save money.

For a while, it was business as usual for the health- and wellness-oriented duo. “One day I got out of the gym with Anxhelo and I was like, ‘I feel like we have no direction. We have no passion right now,’ “ Nicole said. So they decided to take the initiative and look at spaces in South Boston. 

Nicole, who grew up in Carver, MA, and Anxhelo, who was born in Albania, now live in Quincy. But Nicole has always wanted to live in South Boston, so they thought the neighborhood would be the perfect location for their business. Their target demographic is anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle, enjoys fitness, and is passionate about fueling their bodies with the best ingredients.

They secured the East Second Street site in January 2022, but initially had some doubts. But with MyStryde across the street, M Street park up the street, and the Seaport District very close, they knew the location had great potential. “Everything just kind of fell into place,” Nicole said.

Bamboo Beach Juice Bar has a beachy, jungly atmosphere, like Tenerife.

Floor to ceiling windows let in lots of light, and tables and a counter look out those windows. Surfboards decorate the place. Six clocks set to various beach time zones, such as Bali, Malibu, the Gold Coast, hang on the wall. Merchandise is displayed near the door. Anxhelo did a lot of the finishing and design work himself.

 

They want people to come into the shop, hear the tropical music playing, and just relax and take a break from reality. “Step in and feel like you’re somewhere else, even for a little while,” Nicole said.

“We’re very proud of it,” she said. “We want everyone to have a juicy day!”

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