BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Juice Lounge is working to combat the ongoing food desert on Buffalo's East Side. The owner of The Juice Lounge, Bernice Lee, says her own health battles inspired her to save others.
"I have lupus and kidney disease, and my brother found there was a need for this," Lee said. "It has always been fast foods; it was never a healthy choice for us."
Lee says receiving treatment for her condition gives her motivation.
"Since the juice bar opened, I really learned how to fight back and fight for my community," she said. "And show them no matter the diseases you got, you can heal it naturally. So if your gut is not healthy, then you're not healthy."
Lee works alongside her brother, Keyon Lee, who's the co-owner. Lee says he had an itch to uplift his community that he says is always overlooked.
"She stopped her whole job. She quit her job to come and work in The Juice Lounge," he said. "We don't have any healthy alternatives. We got chicken joints and gas station food. So, that was my main thing. We needed this in the neighborhood."
A customer named Rashad Fisher says he has been coming to the lounge for over a month. Fisher says the health within the Black community continues to go unnoticed.
"Health scarce is a main thing in the Black community," Fisher said. "A lot of men don't like going to the doctors and stuff like that. It's important to get checked out, and stuff like this also helps."
The Juice Lounge is open Tuesday's through Saturday's from 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. at 2236 Genesee Street.
