After the Island’s business landscape shifted over a harsh winter, the summer has ushered in a new set of storefronts. Among them are four Islanders who recently moved from farmer’s market stands to a shop on State Road in Vineyard Haven. The space previously housed Pie Chicks, but now, handpainted white lettering on the front door reads: Yommi and Morning Dew Juice.
The store is a shared endeavor by Yommi, a superfood popsicle business run by Caroline Harris and her partner Ryan Gussen, and healthy beverage vendor Morning Dew Juice, founded by Talia Weingarten and Michaela Brown, and provides a home base to once transient businesses.
Harris and Gussen bought Yommi in 2022. The pair have mainly sold frozen superfood bars, which are primarily made with vegan and local ingredients, out of a small vintage camper at outdoor markets and events. The duo and their staff also keep 14 freezers stocked in local haunts like Noman’s in Oak Bluffs and the Mermaid Farm stand in Chilmark for purchase by purveyors at those establishments.
But having a permanent space, Harris said, “feels absolutely amazing.”
“Previous to this year, we were in a kitchen basement with no windows and no air conditioning. So to be able to be above ground with fresh air and the ability to share the space is like our dream come true,” Harris said as she and Gussen stood outside of the new building on opening day on Monday.
On the other side of the new storefront coin is Morning Dew Juice, a rather new venture by Weingarten and Brown, who source fresh vegetables and fruits from Island farms to create colorful and health-conscious juices. They mainly sell their products at the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market and pop-up events, which they’ll continue to do moving forward.
Brown echoed Harris’ excitement on the new venture.
“It feels like a dream to have this open — one that I didn’t even know was coming,” Brown told The Times outside of the new space.
Weingarten agreed, and said that the collaboration between the two businesses has been mutually beneficial. Their mission to supply locals and visitors with farm-sourced products is aligned, along with their mutual desire for deeper collaboration and a resurgence of Islander-owned businesses.
“There’s a shared intention to nourish our community and have deep relationships with the people who engage with what we make. It’s really exciting to work with [Yommi],” Weingarten said.
People of all ages gathered on Monday for the opening day of Yommi and Morning Dew Juice. Several milled about the area near blue hydrangeas that line the building outside, while others sat in outdoor patio seating.
Inside, a sprawling kitchen is visible behind the counter as the sun streams in through the windows. The walls are painted bright, nearly neon green. On the patio were baked goods, live music by Willy Mason and the Alpha Gals, a duo of Lexie Roth and Jessie Pinnick, and “Sun Shots,” a Morning Dew specialty juice made with ginger and turmeric.
Although the building is tucked away off the street, the patio has been a small gathering place for diners for years. Before Pie Chicks moved into the building in 2020, it housed Shephard’s Provisions, a food store that opened in 2016. This year, the owner of Pie Chicks, Chrissy Kinsman, took a sabbatical from work, the new owners said, and the new businesses were offered the opportunity to take over the lease.
“It feels so exciting to have a physical space in which to gather with the community and to share these things in a more rooted way, and to have a space where more collaborations can happen,” Weingarten said.