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Luke Nicolette, the owner of Purple Banana, said he decided to open his restaurant in pursuit of his dreams.

“My happiness is being able to help out other people and help make them happy,” Nicolette said. “So I knew as an individual I could do that to the people around me. But as a business owner, I could have a greater outreach, so I knew I wanted to own a business.”

Purple Banana characterizes itself as an acai bar, as acai is their main product, Nicolette said. He added other products to his menu like fresh juices and smoothie bowls — which can be complemented with a variety of toppings — as a way to diversify his menu with all-around healthy products.

Nicolette’s inspiration for the restaurant came from his many trips around the U.S., he said. Growing up in Syracuse, Nicolette had never seen any businesses who had successfully been able to sell acai. A restaurant like Purple Banana would be new, unique and successful in its location, Nicolette said. Located at 754 S. Crouse Ave., the eatery sits just outside Syracuse University’s campus and is therefore easily accessible to students on a daily basis.

“I did my homework in all these places that are doing really well in other big cities, and Syracuse didn’t have anything like it,” Nicolette said. “Obviously it’s just a fun area at the college campus, and so there’s a lot going on.”

Freshman SU student Jenna Poma said Purple Banana brings something that was missing to the SU area.

“It is a great addition to campus, just because we don’t really have a lot of places to get healthier options,” Poma said.

Jordan Campanelli, a sophomore at SU, said that she would like to be able to use her dining dollars to purchase products at the restaurant.

“It’s really convenient, right off of Marshall Street,” Campanelli said. “So being able to use your dining dollars here would be a really good idea, and I think it would bring a lot more business.”

While the restaurant has been open for less than a month, Nicolette has already noticed recurring customers and a large demand for his products.

“We’re getting a lot of positive feedback that customers are engaged,” Nicolette said. “We don’t just define success by how much money we make or anything like that. It seems that the customers are enjoying it and we’re just getting better and improving each day knowing that we’re really just starting off.”

Along with acai bowls, Purple Banana also offers fresh juices and smoothie bars. Jaden Chen | Asst. Photo Editor

Though he had worked in restaurants before, Nicolette had never been a part of the entrepreneurial side of the restaurant business. His biggest challenge, he said, was overcoming all of the “red tape” that comes with opening a business in Syracuse. Since the opening of the restaurant, Nicolette has been faced with unforeseen challenges, but he said he has been working to overcome them as they show up.

As for choosing the products sold at the restaurant, Nicolette relied on the help from a friend who was a registered dietitian and nutritionist. He also kept his vision in mind, which came from studying similar businesses, to create a restaurant that served health-oriented products.

Nicolette hired Dan Jackson, a manager with previous food business experience, to help with the areas he wasn’t as confident handling. Jackson takes care of the restaurant on a daily basis, he said.

“I got brought on to do the more food side of things,” Jackson said. “I made the whole menu, I do all of the day-to-day operations here. So I do all of the ordering, I talk to all of our vendors, I coordinate the schedule. I do all of the nitty-gritty, day-to-day stuff.”

Since acai berry typically doesn’t have a very long shelf life and can’t be grown in Syracuse because of the weather, Nicolette said he decided to have the fruit pulp frozen and shipped to the restaurant. The restaurant buys directly from a manufacturer, who has direct relationships with farmers in Brazil who harvest, then freeze the berries. After the restaurant has its main ingredient, Nicolette said he is able to create whatever product he desires.

Jackson said he created Purple Banana’s menu after multiple taste tests with friends and family.

“I just basically took what I thought would taste good and kind of melded with a lot of the popular things,” Jackson said. “I talked to a lot of people, and then I just kind of took all of the feedback I got, used some of my past knowledge from past jobs and kind of went with what I thought would be good.”

Nicolette said he has big plans for Purple Banana in the future, but his present goal for the business is controlled growth. His idea is to get it right, he said. When Nicolette is sure that Purple Banana has become a staple within the Syracuse community and amongst college students, he will consider the opportunities that present themselves to him moving forward.

“We now have a walk-in business. I will soon have a loyalty program, I will have online ordering, I soon will have catering and events that we can take on,” Nicolette said. “I want to grow, and I want to do it the right way and make sure we’re doing it well.”

Published on February 16, 2022 at 10:13 pm

Contact Noah: norosenb@syr.edu