Four local small business owners are partnering to offer a unique experience for the community with a new series combining fitness with healthy food and drink options. The first session of Boot Camp, Beverages & Brunch at JDQ is scheduled for this Saturday.
The program is a collaboration among Ulysses Johnson (Strength Renewed), Matt Weafer (Niko’s Bakery Cafe), Crashaunya Hartsfield (Hart and Soul Beverages), and Vicki Quisenberry (The JDQ Building).
The event kicks off with an outdoor boot camp promptly at 8 a.m. in the JDQ parking lot at 2625 Frederica Street.
Johnson, a personal trainer, will lead a 30-minute workout with fitness level modifications to accommodate beginners to advanced. Attendees are asked to bring an exercise mat. If participants want a more stringent workout, they can bring light and medium weights.
“Although I typically do one-on-one and partner personal training sessions, doing boot camp sessions throughout the year allows me to meet more fitness-minded people in our community and work with other business owners,” Johnson said. “If my personal training clients attend, it allows them to see me getting my butt kicked by my own workout.”
Following boot camp, brunch prepared by Niko’s Cafe will be served on the JDQ terrace. Three options for brunch are available, each paired with a nutritional Hart & Soul beverage. Fruit water and coffee will be available.
“Part of our mission at Niko’s Bakery & Cafe is being involved in the community in whatever fashion we can,” Weafer said. “We’re thrilled to partner with like-minded business owners that prioritize healthy living and community unity.”
Harsfield said of Hart & Soul, “We offer plant-based consumable products coupled with educational information designed to enhance and heal the body. Our commitment to environmental friendliness is integrated into every aspect of our offerings.”
The cost is $50 per person. Brunch reservations can be made online or through the Niko’s Cafe app and must be submitted by noon on May 24. Attendance is limited and on spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Quisenberry said that as a small business owner, she is continuously looking for unique collaborative partnerships.
“Knowing Owensboro is ‘last-minute,’ we hope the pop-up experience will appeal to community members who want a unique workout followed by a delicious Niko’s breakfast paired with healthy beverages from Hart & Soul on the JDQ Terrace,” she said.
The entrepreneurs plan to offer Boot Camp, Beverages & Brunch at JDQ on a “pop-up” basis on Saturdays throughout the summer and fall based on the weather. Social media notifications of future events will go out on Thursdays prior to a Saturday event.