Celis Produce www.theonlilife.com /celis-produce/

Lauren Driscoll

“Work hard. Be brave.” – Casey Neistat

Big things come from those who dream big.

Alex Celis is a dreamer, alright. From just one conversation with Celis Produce’s co-owner, you can tell hispassion is pure. After giving the finance and insurance industries a whirl, Alex knew he wanted more in acareer. He wanted something of his own; something he could build from the ground up and operate withthe same drive his father, a respected wholesale produce distributor in the area, had for his company. Boydid he. Alex heard the success story of the original office-delivery company in San Francisco, TheFruitGuys, and was inspired. He and his brother Felipe decided to bring the concept of delivering an arrayof organic produce to locals here in West Palm Beach and evolve it into something even greater. The twopoured their hearts and souls into one thing – fresh food.

I first discovered Celis Produce this summer on Instagram (#PRGirlProbz). After “liking” just about everyone of their photos, I was sold. The simplicity of colorful fruit and veggies in their feed made my eyes lightup and my mouth water. They teased “Coming Berry Soon” with a door front one day, and I knew whateverthey were up to we needed to be a part of it.

Celis Produce began as a local organic produce share and delivery service. The company first got its legsat the Palm Beach Gardens GreenMarket in 2014. One small table of organic produce and a simple sign-up sheet of paper quickly turned into a few tables, and soon expanded into the West Palm BeachGreenMarket the same year. At the time of my discovery, Celis Produce had an e-commerce site up andrunning, and by August 2015, they were ready to open their brick and mortar shop in West Palm Beach.It’s safe to say big things have happened for these guys in a short amount of time!

“Celis Produce is committed to making your life easier when it comes to making healthierchoices for yourself and your family. Our mission is to deliver fresh, organic fruits andvegetables to homes and offices in Palm Beach County. Being born and raised here andseeing how tedious and difficult it is to find quality produce, we felt the need to make buyingorganic much more convenient and affordable. We have been involved with produce ourentire lives with our father being a wholesale produce distributor since 1990 and felt thiswas the perfect direction to take as we became more conscious of the benefits of goingorganic.

Our crew is on the road making deliveries from Monday to Wednesday. You can also catchus at different farmers markets on Saturdays and Sundays. We pride ourselves in providingonly certified, 100% organic produce to the most convenient location for our customers,whether it’s at home or work. Our priority is customer satisfaction and we incorporate thatinto everything we do, starting from the simplicity of the order process, all the way to thefreshness and top quality of our product.

You pick a share and we deliver, it’s that easy. Whether you’re looking for new snackoptions at the office or a more convenient way to get organic produce at home, we can takecare of your needs.

Through our website you can schedule a one-time, daily or weekly delivery of produceshares that are packed with seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables. There are no contractsor membership fees. Simply tell us what size box you want as well as when and where you

want it delivered, we’ll take care of the rest.” – from Celis Produce’s Website

“Opening the door was the best moment, so far,” said Alex as we sat at the bar by the front window. Weboth looked around and agreed; there’s nothing quite like Celis Produce in the area. “You see that corner?”

Alex pointed toward the front door. “I know that corner. I painted those walls. We installed those shelves,

built those crates..” Alex went on sharing his story, with a smile as big as his heart that soevidently beats for this venture. Tucked in a quaint plaza on Antique Row, Celis Produce Market &Juicery holds more than just your average grocery and juice bar. Supporting local and collaborating withpopular businesses is key to Celis’ success in quickly making a dream a reality. The market is home to acommunity of naturally creative products and projects. Beautiful bouquets from Flower & Fringe, freshlyroasted coffee from Subculture, handcrafted Perro Paper Co. stationary… The list goes on. When Iapproached Alex about carrying Onli Beverages, he was open and excited about the opportunity to shareour naturally flavored sparkling water with his shoppers. He and Felipe joked about how fast LemonWatermelon flies out of the cooler. “Go check to see if there’s any left in there.”

With photography and cooking as personal hobbies, the Celis Produce team is “feeding” followers withdelicious imagery and original recipes on their social media platforms. The store and GreenMarket boothslend for beautiful photos that customers are sharing to assist in increasing local buzz. As for dreams of thefuture, Alex says he would love to expand into a space that allows for a co-op kitchen to bring educationand cooking classes to local foodies in the neighborhood. For now, however, he’s loving allthe excitement of staying busy with the delivery service, store operations, and greenmarkets.

Go Go, Celis!

At the end of our impromptu “interview,” I sipped on my delicious fall-inspired “Mamey Smoothie” andasked Alex some random questions, or as I like to call them “Fun Facts.”

10 Fun Facts with Alex Celis

1. Favorite type of cuisine: Anything with curry, Indian flare, and traditional Colombian cuisine

2. Guilty pleasure food: I am a sucker for a doughnut!

3. Favorite drink: Iced Tea

4. Least favorite food: I love all food!!! (In his defense, he tried really hard to think of something)

5. Best meal you’ve ever had: Sancocho in Medellin, Colombia

6. Go-to pump-up music: Vampire Weekend

7. Culinary role models: Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern

8. If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?: Anthony Bourdain

9. Favorite local spot: Hullabaloo

10. Favorite quote: “Work hard. Be brave.” – Casey Neistat

Hard work is evident here. Stop by and experience the fruit of local labor and superior customer serviceat the one and “onli” original & organic Celis Market & Juicery!

Address:

2814 S Dixie Hwy #DWest Palm Beach, FL 33405

Mon-Sat: 8am-7pmSun: 8am-5pm

Phone:

P: 561.410.5735

West Palm Beach GreenMarket: Saturdays, 9am-1pm

Palm Beach Gardens GreenMarket : Sundays, 8am-1pm

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