New York City-born sisters Emma Grace and Lyla Belle Dowhie are on a mission to make healthy eating more accessible with a new health food shop on the Upper East Side, set to open this fall.
The inspiration behind EmmaBelle’s, named after the sisters, stems from their mother’s battle with an autoimmune disease and her journey to remission through food, reinforcing the sisters’ belief in the idea that food is medicine.
“We found how much these whole foods and clean ingredients can really change the way you feel, but also how difficult it was to go to the grocery store and find these foods. We’d spend so much time just picking up items and reading the ingredients. We decided that we would find a way to make this more accessible for people and create a store we were looking for this entire time,” Lyla told Whatnow New York City.
Emma Belles will operate as a small grocer offering a curated mix of produce from New York-area farms, along with vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free products. Each product will be carefully selected, verified and guaranteed to be free of chemicals, pesticides and fillers.
The shop will also feature a coffee program centered on regeneratively farmed, biodynamic, Demeter- and organic-certified coffee. The café will offer fresh nut and oat milk, local A2 dairy and a rotating menu of functional smoothies made with organic and local fruits. The sisters are partnering with bakers across the city and country to offer treats.
“We all are perpetually consuming food three times a day. It’s a huge part of everyone’s life. It’s just about making sure the things you’re putting in your body are things that actually nourish it,” Emma told Whatnow New York City.
The sisters plan to collaborate with a private chef to create a line of prepared meals made with organic and grass-fed ingredients for individuals and families on the go.
“They’ll likely change daily. I think the reality is we really want to grow with the community. We want to find and speak with our customers and see what rotation people actually want because we want to serve the community,” Emma said.
They felt the Upper East Side was the ideal location for their first brick-and-mortar shop because of its strong sense of community and the “perfect avenue” to serve families, with multiple schools located within a few blocks.
When stepping into the space, Emma and Lyla want guests to feel at home.
“The way we describe it is like a farm country, but in a charming, like your grandma’s kitchen, way. There’s quaint little aspects we’ve always been drawn to. We really want it to be a very warm and cozy space and an environment where customers feel like they can trust every item that’s in the store,” Lyla said.
The sisters look forward to creating a one-stop shop for healthy food and becoming customers themselves.
“We’e so excited. Whenever I go into any store and see brands that we are comfortable eating and they taste good, or discovering new items, it’s exciting, and creating a place where these brands that genuinely care about the health of their customers have a place and platform,” Lyla said.
EmmaBelle’s targets an end-of-September opening. Visit the website and follow along on Instagram for the latest updates.
