Álainn Have Opened A Brand New Beachside Location
They previously provided wholesale açaí bowls with their iconic superfoods base to different businesses around the country, before opening their first bricks-and-mortar café in Galway City.
Now they've introduced Álainn By The Sea, their third location to open in just one year. You can find them at Ladies Beach serving up coffee, açaí, matcha and more – ideal for sunny strolls and post-swim snacking!
For our Spring issue, we caught up with owner Gerard O’Donoghue to discuss building a buzzing wellness business and opening the brand’s first bricks-and-mortar café. Read on to hear what Gerard had to say.
Açaí was part of my life from a young age, as growing up in Gort there was a big Brazilian community. I have a background in personal training and nutrition, but I knew early on that I didn’t want to follow the traditional personal training route.
Álainn came from a desire to combine those interests with my love of good food and to create a concept that brought everything together in one place.
A typical day starts early – I’m usually up at 5 a.m. It begins with either a run or a gym session. After breakfast, the day is spent working across the business, whether that’s in one of our cafés or drive-throughs or in the production facility on the wholesale side.
I put a big emphasis on my health and fitness and I always make sure to take at least an hour a day for myself to train or move. Physical exercise has a huge positive impact on my mental state and it helps me stay focused and clear-headed.
Day-to-day, I try to eat plenty of whole foods to support my training and lifestyle. That usually means lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, proteins like eggs, chicken, salmon and ribeye steak, along with good carbohydrates such as white and sweet potatoes. Dark chocolate and peanut butter are always staples too.
I was surprised by how different the reality of running a business is compared to the idea of it. There’s far more problem-solving and decision-making than I ever expected, and you’re constantly learning as you go.
My go-to bowl is açaí with chocolate hazelnut gluten-free granola, peanut butter, strawberries and toasted coconut.
Opening a bricks-and-mortar café has brought a new level of structure and responsibility to the business while also deepening our connection with the local community. It’s been a big learning curve, but it has also helped shape the brand and customer experience.
If I have the time, I love heading out to Oughterard for a few hours. I’ll grab a pastry in Sullivan’s Grocers and a coffee in My Little Flower.
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