Pure Green Opens First Minnesota Franchise in Brooklyn Park

Twenty years ago, Tatiana Bakare came to the United States from Togo as an immigrant with a dream.

“When I came here, the goal was to be a nurse,” Bakare said. “Go to nursing school and help care for people.”

Today, she’s caring for people in a different way.

Bakare is the proud owner of Pure Green, a juice bar that opened April 13 in Brooklyn Park that specializes in cold-pressed juice and a variety of other health food options.

“People are taking more care of their body — people are realizing they want to live healthier, they want to live better,” Bakare said. “And I mean, I’m not saying there’s nothing bad against fast food, but once in a while we want to be able to try something new.”

At Pure Green, Bakare says they don’t add any sugar to the items on their menu.

“The only sweetener we use is our honey, and that is honey for our oatmeal,” Bakare said. “Everything is just fruits and vegetables that come with it.”

The Mixed Berry Acai Bowl at Pure Green is one of their top sellers.

Some of their most popular sellers so far include the Pure Green smoothie, which is a concoction of kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple and coconut water.

The Mixed Berry Acai Bowl — which is a combination of acai, granola, strawberries and blueberries — is also popular.

Meanwhile, a dish called Berry Wake-Up Steel-Cut Oatmeal is finding local fans as well.

“Brooklyn Park is always very warm, very loving and accepting of new things, so I didn’t expect anything else,” Bakare said, when asked of the reception so far.

Meanwhile, with this business, Bakare isn’t just trying to cash in on the health food trend. It’s a lifestyle that she endorses.

“I’ve lost a hundred-plus pounds, 120 pounds, being able to keep it off for a little over eight years now,” she said. “And during my process, I struggled to find healthy place to eat around [the] Brooklyn Park area.”

Pure Green is her way of helping to solve that problem. That way, others can pursue a healthy lifestyle in Brooklyn Park.

“I have a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, and of course, I’m currently carrying,” she said. But I want my kids to be able to have access to healthy food.”

If all goes well, Bakare hopes to expand and open other Pure Green franchise locations throughout the Twin Cities.

A dish called the Berry Wake-Up Steel-Cut Oatmeal Bowl. Pure Green’s Brooklyn Park location is 9734 Schreiber Terrace North.

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