Grassrootz Books and Juice Bar is going strong. It continues to grow its client base while being the first Black-owned bookstore in Arizona.
Business owner Ali Nervis reminisces about the bookstore’s inception while looking forward to his purpose and mission to foster a strong community at Grassrootz and create a thriving, entertaining, and educational space for African Americans.
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He’s accomplishing just that as the Grassrootz Books & Juice Bar customer base is growing. He’s having guest speakers like Dr. Umar Johnson appear, hosting new events, and holding chess tournaments every month.
Four years ago, at the height of COVID, he started his bookstore out of a hallway and then moved into a bigger office space within the building. With little experience in the bookstore business but having determination, he opened his bookstore online.
“When we launched, our website was getting flooded by orders online; it was madness,” Nervis said.
He saw thousands of orders daily from customers and sold out of his top-selling books in minutes—his business model to cope with overwhelming orders. “Baptism by Fire,” he said.
It was spontaneity at its finest. “We were selling books we didn’t have but improvising them to get the customer what they purchased,” Nervis said. He invested all he had with his best sellers, which proved profitable as he saw $20,000 in monthly sales during COVID-19.
As the time of Covid has long passed, a fully-fledged bookstore emerged at 1145 E. Washington St., #200 In Downtown Phoenix
Despite having favorable reviews from existing customers, his quest for expansion hinges on overcoming the visibility hurdle. Highlighting the fact that the store currently stands on the verge of the “hidden gem” status,
“I believe what will set us apart and elevate the store is the programs we have coming, like the chess program we are continually building upon, poetry night, and book clubs.” Nervis.
However, he wants to diversify what Grassrootz does, saying soon he’s looking to have self-defense classes, CPR classes, and anything that will benefit the community.
The bookstore also has a juice bar specializing in smoothies and desserts if customers want to grab something quick or stick around for a while.
Ali Nervis, at first, never intended to open a bookstore in downtown Phoenix. He intended to make his version of Walgreens.
“I’m a student of the people, our struggle, our progress; I’m a student of the movie,” Nervis explained. As a community, we must absorb the teachings we get and give them back to our community to make the next generation better. Or even his, for that matter.
This is why he felt compelled to open the first black-owned bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona.
I knew spaces for black culture to thrive were needed, and he said that was powerful for us.
The community-focused bookstore holds multi-functioning positions beyond just a retail structure.
Grassrootz Books & Juice Bar is a home where people can connect and communicate knowledge, culture, and life. It’s a multipurpose community center where people of all ages read, eat healthy food, and socialize to help them feel connected, learn, and become a part of their community.
This value lies not only in the many business opportunities it brings but also in the power it gives people to interact, improve their quality of life, and, ultimately, create a better community.
