UPTOWN — When Anne Owen learned her small business was the winner of this year's #FLATSproject it felt like a close friend was smiling down on her from the afterlife.
"It's so exciting, but bittersweet for me because FLATS was started by a close friend of mine that passed away last year," Owen said reminiscing about when she first met Jay Michael, the founder of FLATS Chicago who passed away in January.
At the Lawrence House Soiree, a grand opening event for its property at 1020 W. Lawrence Ave., Cedar Street announced Owen + Alchemy had won its #FLATSProject, which chooses the small business that will fill its retail spaces.
The juice bar and plant-based food cafe defeated Stock Mfg. Co., Eric Shrospire Photography and Sit Social to win the "Small Business and Community Accelerator Project" designed to give an entrepreneur the opportunity to kick-start a small business with more than $100,000 in benefits, which includes a year of free rent.
Owen, who grew up in Oak Park, spent 13 years in publishing including stints at Miami Magazine, Modern Luxury Brides, Miami Charity, Social Datebook, Chicago Social Brides and Cosmopolitan.
When she would returned home she noticed "there was a real void" in clean eating and "saw an opportunity there" so she began creating Owen + Alchemy.
"I'd come back to Chicago and I'd really missed the clean, healthy options available on the coast," she said.
In October 2014, Owen, a vegetarian, Ashanta Yoga practitioner and religious juicer, launched the first location for Owen + Alchemy, 2355 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Logan Square. The juice bar offers cold-pressed juices, salads, rice bowls, custom herbal blends, healthy snacks and Chinese medicine.
"It's basically easy, convenient, fresh, healthy, locally sourced, plant-based foods. For me, the environmental implications of plant-based foods are undeniable. We're not preachy, we just like to educate people" on the benefits of healthy eating, she said.
Soon her best friend introduced her to Michael, who knew they would connect over their passion for plant-based juice.
"From the very first moment, we hit it off. ... From the first meeting, he was very supportive. ... It's like he's still supporting us now through this program he created," said Owen, adding it's hard to find a small business entrepreneur in the city "he didn't know well."
"He was very involved because [small businesses were] his passion," she said.
In Michael's blog "My Choice to Live," he said he spent $32 a day for Owen + Alchemy to make and deliver his "daily juices."
"They are the only juicer who I believe can make potent and medicinally savvy green juices that fit the bill," he said in the Huffington Post blog.
Awesome juice with the best view--the only way to start the day @OWENALCHEMY @FSChicago pic.twitter.com/wFpndBatgB
— Jay Michael (@jaymichaeliving) July 11, 2015
The second location will boast a similar menu, but will also allow for some creative collaborations, she said.
"It's a second footprint for us, which is why I'm very excited about it. To have a second outpost is great because it expands our delivery area and we've been working on expanding for a while. It's all very real and we're in good company" in Uptown, Owen said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
