Meet Andres Montiel | Business owner and consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andres Montiel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andres, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always wanted to own a business that promoted health and wellness. My background is in fitness trainer and I was always very interested in the nutrition side of it. Therefore my thought process into creating Banana Berry was to have a place where people could eat healthy yet its recipes were delicious. A place where people that normally would never order a green juice for example be surprised by how amazing these healthy foods can be.

What should our readers know about your business?
We were founded in 2014 as I related my story, this was always my dream. I wanted to own an eatery where people could find the pleasures of healthy eating. I wanted to bust that myth that healthy food is boring or not tasty. This business has surpassed this expectation by a stretch. We have been published in newspapers and other media outlets earning the spot of one of the best and most established healthy food restaurants in Miami. We love what we do, we do it with passion. We put emphasis on taste and appearance of our dishes and drinks. Our customer service is superb people rave about Banana Berry experience online and we are so grateful for this opportunity to give back joy to our community through healthy eating.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I personally love Coconut Grove, I love Tigertail & Mary, Jaguar amongst other restaurants in that neighborhood. I love to soak in the sunny and pristine beaches of Haulover, and of course a little shopping spree in Brickell City Center. When it comes to having drinks and a good dance, always a bar crawl in the Wynwood area is a must!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is such a spot on question. As much as I like to call myself self made, I was extremely lucky to have the support of the best mother and co-founder one could ever ask for. My mom helped me build this business since day 1 and encourged me every single day even in those first years when it was such a challenge to make the business take off and considered giving up. She inspired to be a kind, assertive and human leader. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when the business was 4 years old and ending up passing a couple of years later leaving a huge hole in my life but her presence and contribution to this business lives on. I want to dedicate this shout out to her beautiful soul with whom I wouldn’t not have been able to do this without.

Website: www.banana-berry.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bananaberrymiami/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bananaberrymiami

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/banana-berry-coral-gables