Ono Grindz: Bringing smoothies to Waxahachie

The Sanchezes’ home became the place for gatherings with friends and families, and Frank and Jessica always cooked. One day, a friend told them they should open a taco truck. Jessica said that idea stuck with them, and when they were both let go from their employment during the pandemic, they decided to go for it. They purchased a taco trailer and began La Cajita Tacos.

For two years, they learned the ins and outs of the food industry through catering and pop-ups. They became a booth at the Texas Motorplex and served 45,000 people in 11 days during the 2022 Stampede of Speed.

Wanting to open a storefront, the Sanchezes signed a lease in November 2022 and began acquiring permits, ordering equipment and finetuning recipes. Instead of La Cajita Tacos, though, their storefront houses another, brand-new business – Ono Grindz.

“I wanted my own dream,” Jessica said. “We eat healthy food, so I wanted to do something like smoothies. I wanted to bring that here.”

Ono Grindz brings a piece of the tropical life to Waxahachie, offering smoothies, smoothie bowls, salads, wraps and more.

“Whenever we go on vacation, we like to go to the beach, and every beach place has a smoothie bowl place,” Jessica said. “You can’t get that here unless you drive all the way to Dallas. I eat them regularly, so I was like I need to do that.”

The Sanchezes recalled it being a busy and challenging time as they prepped a new business, worked at their La Cajita Tacos trailer and raised their two children.

While Frank was purchasing equipment and managing the business, Jessica was finetuning the smoothie recipes they’d often had at home and creating new recipes.

“I really had to think about it,” Jessica said. “I had to get the flavor right.”

When Jessica was creating a new smoothie or smoothie bowl, she’d always have Frank try it, and Frank said he was not afraid to give her his honest opinion.

“I’m picky,” he said. “She’s like, ‘Here, try this one,’ and I’m like, ‘It sucks.’ ”

Jessica was experimenting with a new smoothie bowl recipe that included blue majik, a blue sea algae, and it took her two weeks to get it right. Frank said the blue majik tastes like “pure seaweed,” which made it difficult for Jessica to pair with other flavors.

“She was getting all frustrated, trying to make this perfect but can’t,” Frank said. “I told her to take her time and find the perfect one she’s going to serve her customer, that’s going to be good consistency.”

Jessica stopped attempting the smoothie bowl for several days before going back to it and creating their new “high tide” smoothie bowl that contains mango, pineapple and blue majik and is topped with raspberry, blueberry and coconut.

“The first time after coming back, she got it right on the point,” Frank said. “It’s good because it still incorporates the blue sea algae … that the body needs without tasting bad. You can’t even taste it, and it’s phenomenal.”

Another special creation is the strawberry crunch smoothie bowl, which “tastes like a peanut butter jelly sandwich,” Jessica said.

Once their recipes and equipment were ready to go, the Sanchezes opened Ono Grindz, located at 150 U.S. Highway 77, in January 2023.

“We offer a healthy alternative,” Frank said. “You could choose us, or you could choose fast food. Everything that we do is all fresh, all organic (and) all natural. We don’t use powders or syrups or concentrates on anything that we do. We offer gluten free options, dairy free options, sugar free options.”

Everything is fresh and made to order, they said.

“I’m always going to choose quality over how fast I can push something out,” Jessica said.

They import dragon fruit, coconut, and acai from local farms in Hawaii and Costa Rica.

“These are exotic fruits that you don’t see around here too often,” Frank said. “It’s not a powder. It’s not a sorbet. It’s the actual fruit. That’s what separates us from other places.”

Frank said another thing that separates them from other businesses is that customers have the freedom to substitute ingredients for their dietary needs. They hope to one day offer a build-your-own option.

“It’s something that tastes good, and it’s healthy and good for you,” Jessica said. “People are scared when they hear healthy or fruit for some reason. They think it’s bland or doesn’t taste good. Just try my stuff.”

In the past three weeks, they’ve seen their customers quadruple, serving 250 in one day between 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

“We’re wanting to grow,” Frank said. “We’re just not exactly sure which direction we want to go in. We didn’t expect it to blow up this fast.”

For more information, visit https://ono-grindztx.square.site/ or follow @OnoGrindzTx on Facebook and Instagram.

Originally published June 19, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/ono-grindz-bringing-smoothies-to-waxahachie/article_bfd860c2-0eb9-11ee-9a2a-0b9da25b990e.html