The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce’s (CBCC) Black Business Direct presented by Uber Canada is making it easier to find and support local Black-owned businesses, with popular juice bar Mr. Kane among those featured in the directory.
The juice bar operates two locations across the GTA, serving fresh produce and all-natural juices made with organic ingredients and delivering a vibrant taste of the Caribbean in every sip.
Co-owners, Keith Marshall and Keshia Sheriff, started the business more than a decade ago as vendors at several Caribbean festivals in the Toronto area such as Jerk Fest and Toronto Caribbean Carnvial, before finally finding and opening up a permanent home at their Malton location nine years ago.
Both owners say the secret to the businesses long success has been setting themselves apart within the industry by prioritizing health, sustainability, and eco-friendly service.
“We really just wanted to give people a healthy option,” Sheriff tells Now Toronto. “ As a fast food environment, it’s really hard to eat healthy when you’re working so hard. So here’s Mr. Kane giving people the healthy option.”
That commitment to healthy living is reflected in a blend of natural ingredients and internationally sourced fruits. The sugarcane in particular has become their staple ‘sweet’ ingredient and the liquid base for most of their drinks.
“So we don’t need to add any powders, syrups or milks. It’s sugar cane that we totally rely on,” Sheriff said.
A sugarcane smoothie at Mr. Kane, made with fresh sugarcane and other natural ingredients for a refreshing, island-inspired drink.
Marshall says along with sugarcane they also rely on fruits such as mangoes, coconut water, and oranges.
“These are things that are going to help us stay in our own lane, on our own path, and not really compete with the competition that’s already out there,” Marshall said.
All fruits are pressed and squeezed with several different automatic machines and cold presses, right in front of the customers, making for an exciting and captivating experience. This also allows the duo to work “smarter not harder,” according to Marshall.
“It’s all about innovation here. We allow our juices to flow with that and just get comfortable with working with our machinery and adding more machinery to help make things a lot easier for us,” Sheriff said.
After the juices are served up, the sustainable efforts continue, the owners then grind the remainder of the sugarcanes and turn it into mulch which is then used for gardening.
But most importantly it’s the health benefits that are put front and centre, at Mr Kane, ingredients such as soursop have become one of their number one sellers, valued for its antioxidant content and long-standing reputation in traditional wellness practices..
“So that alone helps a lot of people within the community,” Sheriff said.
Despite the delicious, healthful offerings, working in the produce business comes with its own unique challenges, as the team must constantly race against expiration dates.
“These products do have an expiry date…. We try to get it in and out the door as fast as we can,” Marshall said.
One way the business manages this is by offering a subscription service through its website, allowing the team to better forecast demand, source the right amount of fruit within a given period, and ensure products move quickly out the door.
“We can’t sit on it. So with that said, we just do a subscription service for people that are more ‘I need coconuts, and I need it weekly, bi-weekly or monthly,’” Sheriff said.
Despite the challenges the owners say having a directory like the CBCC’s Black Business Direct offers much needed support that small Black business owners rely on to keep their doors open.
“It could just be hard to find us out there, so when there’s a directory that actually gives us that highlight, it’s very helpful,” Sheriff said.
Marshall also emphasizes the importance of having the Black Business Direct.
“[Having a] directory out there in terms of advertising more and presenting us in other places that people know about us is very helpful,” he said.
It’s support like this that the owners say will continue to help them grow, and potentially open up more locations in the near future.
“I know Scarborough’s been requesting us, so we’ll see what Scarborough looks like shortly,” Sheriff said. “We’re very resilient, just keep on going. When you have the dream and you have a vision, just keep on going.”