Meet Ivo Dimi of Energize in Oak Square

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivo Dimi.

Ivo, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Energize opened doors to the public on May 6, 2016 but the idea of Energize stared way back when Immy friends and I began to experiment with plant-based foods. We did many different sports growing up and were always looking for the best possible nutrition to recover from intense workouts. We discovered that plant-based, super food-infused shakes accompanied with freshly squeezed juices and meal-like salads was the most potent, bioavailable and efficient nourishment for both post-workout food as well as overall bodily nutrition. In other words the idea of Energize organically sprouted from our personal lifestyle.

Has it been a smooth road?
There is no such thing as a “smooth road” when you are starting a company. It was the hardest thing I have done in my life, but the most rewarding too. It took us 2 and half years to find a location. While people claim that Boston is small business friendly city, I personally have found that this statement cannot be further than the truth. We looked at over 75 locations with which we had over 15 LOI (letter of intent, or in other words. Entering contract) drafted and they all fell through for one reason- because we were a startup and no landlord would take a chance on us. It was pure perseverance and unimaginable belief and persistence that keep us going until we found Oak Square. And even then it took more than it should have for us to rent the space. The landlord still wanted to give the space to another established business which was competing with us but we just made her an offer which she could not turn down. We offered to pay the last year of the lease term at signing the contract and begin paying normal rent from day one. This demonstrated to her that we had skin in the game and finally gave us the edge.

However this tied up a lot of capital and put a strain on our initial budget but was the only way to start Energize. Energize was built by the love and labor of 4 people. Ivo, Svet (my brother), Rado and Tisho. We all grew up together in Bulgaria and been best friend since we can remember and came together to school in the US.

We literally saved up the money to start Energize by working in restaurants for over 6 years. In conclusion, the road has been tough but when you do something you are passionate about and witness every day the joy people get from experiencing your product the price of hardship is justified.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Energize story. Tell us more about the business.
Energize is not simply another juice bar. The ingredients in our items are carefully selected to enhance each other in order to deliver the best possible nutrition to the human body. There is a lot science behind our combination s. The staff also goes through intense training process which enables them to walk our guests through the menu, explain different kinds of foods (such as Acai Berry, Goji berry, Camu, Camu, Maca root and etc.) and make the appropriate recommendations based on the needs and wants to the guest. In sum, to the unarmed eye and not so health-conscious people Energize may seem like another juice bar, however, to the health-seeking enthusiast and individuals who understand and know nutrition Energize is The health Oasis of Boston. They have only one word every time they first walk into Energize- Wow!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Sky is the limit in the health industry now. We see huge potential. More and more people begin to care what they put in their bodies and we just happen to provide the best possible fuel. We would love to see as many health stores as coffee shops in the future. People need them. There are still a lot areas (even in greater Boston area) where there are food deserts. There are not any healthy food options. Energize wants to change this. We want to provide more real food for more people at the lowest prices available for organic foods. Many people would see our prices a bit steep but there is no one out there would like to offer better prices and value for this kind of food than us. We hope to see some subsidies going into organic farming of fruits and vegetables. We hope to see the government backing those framers taking the risk growing organic produce which will consequently result in better prices for everyone. Energize will buy only organic produce and support those farmers.

Contact Info:

• Website: energizeboston.com
• Phone: (617) 903-3053
• Email: energizeboston@gmail.com
• Instagram: #energizeboston
• Facebook: @energizeboston
• Yelp: Energize

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