The Daily Boost: Ruhina Karmali’s café community in Redwood City
by Heidi Trilling
Ruhina Karmali at The Daily Boost Café in Redwood City. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
Barista extraordinaire Ruhina Karmali runs her small café on a grand scale.
Located in the European piazza-like setting of Courthouse Square in Redwood City, The Daily Boost is an organic espresso, smoothie and sandwich bar. It occupies one tiny, airy, architecturally gorgeous cube on the square, amid leafy trees and sparkling fountains.
But it is Karmali’s welcoming enthusiasm, gracious staff, and strong sense of community that make The Daily Boost really shine.
The Daily Boost Café in Redwood City. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
Since opening in July 2008, it has become renowned for premium organic ingredients, gourmet preparation, and super-personalized service. Interested in concocting a custom smoothie for the “Drink of the Week”? Want to adapt a Daily Boost recipe to meet your Weight Watchers points? Feeling under the weather and need a therapeutic tea? Have questions about organics or nutrition? No problem: Karmali is here to help.
Menu items at The Daily Boost Café. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
“I love coffee, and I wanted to bring organics and fair trade to downtown Redwood City,” Karmali says. “But this is not just another business; I see my customers on a daily basis. I know what’s going on in their lives, they know what’s going on in mine. … We’re friends … we’re like family.”
The Daily Boost offers a variety of sweet and savory organic treats. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
And family is important to Karmali. In fact, she credits her parents, sister and fiancé for inspiring her tremendous entrepreneurial energy: “I can’t say enough about them,” she says, smiling. “They are my strength.”
Another strength of Karmali’s is partnering with merchants and organizations to boost local commerce while providing people with great-tasting treats to enjoy and good causes to support. Last month, for example, The Daily Boost hosted a St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser, supporting children with cancer.
Browse through a selection of books for children and adults at The Daily Boost Café. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
The Daily Boost offers a variety of other community services. Books are provided for children and adults to browse through; these books are available for purchase and benefit the neighboring Funders Bookstore of the San Mateo County History Museum. The Daily Boost also presents children’s story times, local author readings, and talks on a variety of community-enriching topics. A redesigned Web site with a comprehensive schedule is coming soon.
An upcoming talk highlights the University of Dreams, an organization providing college students with gainful summer internships all over the world. Karmali says: “If we focus on students and kids in our society today, they’re going to become productive adults in our society tomorrow. … It’s all about building a healthy community.”
Aromatic tea leaves uniquely displayed at The Daily Boost Café. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
It’s all about exquisite menu items, too.
Rapturous praises are sung online about The Daily Boost’s robust, flavorful coffees and espressos — the beans are custom-roasted in Zanzibar — and the aromatic, authentic masala chai. Try the new iced coffee for summer, too: African Awakening, which is steeped 12 hours, cold.
Or choose from the dazzlingly exotic array of premium loose-leaf teas in hand-made tea bags: white, green, black, oolong, and botanical blends like rose mélange and tangerine ginger. Or the ancient Chinese pu-erh tea, traditionally served after sumptuous meals, as it is reputed to lower cholesterol. Each tea is ambrosial: as fragrant as perfume!
Rose melange and tangerine ginger, two of the popular organic teas at The Daily Boost Café. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
Also available: delicious nonfat yogurt which is made on-site, fresh-pressed fruit juices, smoothies, milkshakes, frappes, luscious Italian sodas, a variety of hearty sandwiches, salads with house-made dressings, and delightful desserts.
“One of my missions is to educate people about what ‘organic’ is: eating natural foods, and teaching your kids healthy eating habits,” Karmali says. “Another mission is supporting local vendors and local farms as much as possible … and making sure international vendors are organic and fair-trade: giving their employees livable wages and family care … and making every effort to be green-conscious. … It’s not only bringing something of value to Redwood City, but it’s helping our larger community around the world, too. … I think all of this is extremely important.”
So does the media. The Daily Boost has been featured in the Redwood City Daily News, was recognized by City Trees for supporting urban forestry, and is a 2009 KRON 4 Best of the Bay nominee for Best Coffee and Tea in San Mateo County.
In addition to all this, The Daily Boost provides catering for individual parties, business functions, and some city-sponsored free events in Courthouse Square. The café maintains a kiosk at the Silver Creek Sportsplex in San Jose, as well, during events including hockey, lacrosse and soccer games.
Barista extraordinaire Ruhina Karmali. Photo: Heidi Trilling.
Karmali also runs A Time for Tea, offering themed high-tea parties brimming with delicacies. Call in advance for popular summer bookings.
“I love what I do,” Karmali says. “I learned from my parents that working hard pays off. When you put out good karma, it comes back to you!”
Fresh Blueberry Italian Soda
Recipe by Ruhina Karmali
1/2 cup organic blueberries
1 Tablespoon agave
1/4 cup fresh-pressed apple juice
2 cups club soda
Mix blueberries, agave and apple juice in blender on high speed for 1 minute. Pour mixture into a glass full of ice. Add club soda; give it a quick stir. Enjoy!
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