Juice Bar Tonga is aiming to promote healthy living in the kingdom of Tonga.
Inspired to do something about the increasing level of obesity in the kingdom, Saffron Norris was driven to open a healthy eatery company.
“I lived in New Zealand for decades and understood the importance of Healthy Alternatives. On many trips to Tonga, I always struggle to find healthy food & drinks.”
“The obese level in Tonga is very high and I can see our people queuing up on fried food places and grocery stores for processed food & fizzy drinks, especially kids. This really hit me deep down and I wanted to take action sooner than later.”
The Juice Bar is an eatery business that supports healthy living and offers 100% natural juices, smoothies and low fat meals.
These products are nothing new to Norris.
“Also, my mother is diabetic and we used to blend her vegetable smoothies and she loves it and her sugar level remained low. Raising my family in New Zealand, I've always been cautious about what we eat and drink, especially my children.”
“We are lucky in Tonga with very affordable local produce that we can experiment with but also imported fruits and vegies, also affordable for many.”
The healthy eatery business is co-owned by Taiami Tu'ifua, who is a personal trainer and a professional bodybuilder.
Norris said, “He has invaluable skills, knowledge and experience in healthy food & drinks as well as his fitness background.”
The Juice Bar Tonga is a subsidiary business owned by Digital Agency Tonga Ltd.
“Our Digital Agency (Digital Agency Tonga Ltd) specialises in online & social media marketing so we are grateful for getting The Juice Bar out there reaching up to 68,000 people online. I hope we can continue providing more delicious but healthy alternatives to our community as a whole as our health should be a priority,” Norris said.
Juice Bar Tonga is also making an effort to be consistent with its products and services to its customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Norris said they have been more creative with their business operation ever since the border closed.
“We are utilising our local resources and connecting whilst supporting local businesses. We also put a heavy focus on our marketing campaigns both online and offline, as we are a new business,” Norris said.
Norris added they have been facing a few problems in this pandemic but they strive to rise above it.
“With the border closed, it takes longer for our equipment, products and materials to arrive from overseas. Also, our customers are only locals which otherwise could have included overseas visitors.”
“But we have to keep pushing forward, make improvements and get things rolling regardless of the situation.”
Juice Bar currently employs seven staff working fulltime.
“We are still looking for high performance staff as we have few other businesses in one building.”
Norris is encouraging each individual to live a healthy lifestyle.
“I just hope that our people can see the importance of living a healthy lifestyle but it has to start from home and also with our children. We are rolling in more exciting food and drinks on our menu and also much needed products that will help us keep active and healthy. We just want to thank all our customers, community and our network for helping us get through this tough time.”
The Juice Bar Tonga is located along Wellington Road in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.