By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond native Veronica Ornelas is on a mission to give her hometown a host of healthier nutritional options with the launch of her healthy café, The Daily Fix Nutrition. The new business, which opened its doors Dec. 20, 2020 at 4500 Barrett Ave., Suite B in Richmond, serves up an eye-pleasing variety of nutritional shakes, mega teas (green/black), iced coffee and donuts made with a protein powder base.
According to Ornelas, who runs the café with her husband Jose Martinez, their protein shakes provide 24 grams of protein, all the vitamins and minerals the body needs and are low in calories, sugar and carbs—so they can be a meal replacement. Perusing the menu, the shakes come in flavors like Fruity Pebbles, Chunk Monkey and Birthday Cake, to name a few—with the Fruity Pebbles and Banana Nut Bread shakes being the most popular. Ornelas said the mega teas offer a lot of energy, focus, vitamins and zero sugar; the blue and red Captain America option is particularly popular with local police officers.
For their part, the donuts—which look like ones you’d see in a bakery—are also a healthy version of the popular treat, with a light sprinkling of rainbow sprinkles on top. Just enough to quell one’s internal sugar monster.
“Our goal is to provide our community with access to healthier options,” said Ornelas about her inspiration for starting the business. “And for me, everything started personally. I started my fitness and healthy journey four years ago and I didn’t know anything about nutrition or working out. So, the idea came because of that.”
Ornelas embarked on her journey to business ownership by offering free fitness camps at Tassajara Park in the Richmond hills and also at the Marina so people could get to know her and so she could introduce the importance of nutrition to the community. Now that The Daily Fix Nutrition has become a reality, her goal is to lead free hiking excursions to community members once per month. In the meantime, she also likes to share nutritional and fitness advice with her customers, many of whom wander by her sleekly appointed café after spotting their mouth-watering Instagram posts.
“For me, it’s really important to share my experiences with other people and show them what I did wrong and what’s working now,” added Ornelas about her fitness journey. “That’s why I wanted something like this, because we have all types of people coming in and most are looking for a healthier lifestyle. That’s why they come to us.”
For the time being, The Daily Fix Nutrition is only offering to-go orders via curbside and pickup. The business is not available via food-delivery services because Ornelas “likes to keep it personal.” When pandemic restrictions ease, the café has indoor seating at a modern-style bar where they will be able to enjoy conversations with their customers.
The café has plans to host a grand opening in March; details will be forthcoming.
The Daily Fix Nutrition is open Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Customers can order by text at (510) 224-7477. For more info, visit the café’s website or Instagram at @thedailfix_nutrition.