Daily Inspiration: Meet Jessica McDonald

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica McDonald

Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! We are Jessica & Michael McDonald. We have 3 children: Eli, Sophie, and Vivian, and a large English Mastiff, Amos.
We live in downtown Raleigh near SeaBoard Station, and this is our journey in bringing Palm Berries to Raleigh and to starting a new chapter in our life!

We have always been active in our community, with the neighborhood schools, and with the City of Raleigh, but we felt we had a calling to be more involved with the larger community. We didn’t exactly know what it was until I started spending more time in Hickory supporting my father who was battling Cancer. While I was there, my brother introduced me to Palm Berries, an Acai Bowl and Blends restaurant. It was love at first bite! I am a vegetarian and very health conscious about the food I eat, so I’ve had my fair share of acai bowls and smoothies over the years. But when I ate a Palm Berries bowl, I couldn’t believe how amazing it was! Since I was spending more time in Hickory to be with my dad, I got to eat at Palm Berries a lot, and every time I ate a bowl or blend, it tasted as good as the first time I ate there. I actually started to crave the bowls!

When I came back to Raleigh, I started talking to Michael about Palm Berries (who is very much a meat and potatoes kind of guy)! The next time we went to Hickory, I took him to get a bowl. He was amazed at how delicious and satisfying it was and how different Palm Berries was compared to other acai bowls he had tasted. I knew he was hooked when he suggested we eat at Palm Berries for breakfast and/or lunch every time we traveled to Hickory!

Unfortunately, my dad ended up losing his battle with cancer, but I decided that I had found the answer to how I could be more connected with the community and my favorite bowl! Michael and I decided to reach out to the owners about opening a Palm Berries franchise in Raleigh. As soon as we met them, we discovered that they are a NC family-owned business and are as passionate about family and community as we are. It was a perfect match!

And so began our journey of bringing Palm Berries to SeaBoard Station. We are excited to serve the Raleigh community so that others can experience the love and passion we have for these bowls!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first struggle that comes to mind was teaching my husband how to pronounce ‘acai’ (ah-sigh-ee), and overall helping people understand what acai is. We have had the opportunity to participate in the Triangle Pop Up and give out samples, and we realized that acai bowls are still a new concept (acai berries are found in the rainforests of Central & South America). It’s been fun to introduce this healthy food to those who have never had it before.

We have also had to remind ourselves to stay positive during the process of opening up a franchise. As first time business owners, we have had a roller coaster of emotions: excitement, fear, and the overall stress in navigating all the logistics that go into building out a store. But we have been extremely fortunate to have Hoffman and Associates as our landlords. They have helped guide us along the way since we are first time business owners.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Palm Berries is a North Carolina family-owned and operated business. We offer customized acai bowls and blends that are made fresh to order. We use only premium quality ingredients in all our bowls and blends.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Come visit us at Seaboard Station to discover your favorite bowl or blend! Stay tuned for our grand opening date and follow us on Instagram at Palmberries_raleighdt

Contact Info:

• Website: https://palmberriesllc.com
• Instagram: Palmberries_raleighdt