Nakia and Taahirah Stith share their journey of opening city plant-based apothecary Dope Botanicals.
Dope Botanicals founders Nakia and Taahirah Stith. / {Photograph} by Ron Hill Media
Like many different age-old practices, herbalism — or utilizing natural and/or ethically foraged vegetation to deal with illnesses and enhance general wellness — has skilled a contemporary renaissance due to the pandemic. It has been particularly well-liked here in Philly due to a rising variety of plant-centric companies and workshop organizers.
Contributing to the scene is Dope Botanicals, an natural store that opened in Rittenhouse about two months in the past. Based by Philly natives and sisters Nakia and Taahirah Stith, the a‘plant’ecary (a.okay.a. an apothecary filled with plant-based treatments) is dwelling to hand-blended natural merchandise like lattes, smoothies, tonics, teas and tinctures.
We chatted with the Stith sisters to learn the way they acquired into natural medication, what units Dope Botanicals aside, and what they hope to contribute to Philly’s wellness scene.
What led you each to start out practising herbalism?
Nakia: I don’t know once we’ve not been into natural medication. Earlier than Taahirah was born (we’re 13 years aside), our dad got here dwelling someday and mentioned we have been going to overtake our consuming — herbs performed a big function in that change. I used to be about 10 years previous on the time. So when Taahirah got here alongside, she didn’t have any transition like I did; plant-based was simply how our household ate.
Was there a purpose your dad just about uprooted your weight loss plan?
Nakia: Our dad and mom have been younger dad and mom, elevating me (and later, Taahirah and our brother) at a time when folks had a mindset of “do for self” and “do for neighborhood.” To be able to do these issues, you need to have a wholesome thoughts and physique, and I believe our dad was studying that we may very well be enhancing our entire well being via higher consumption. Plus, our dad was an entrepreneur — he created his personal safety enterprise. Having us go plant-based was a giant a part of his creating robust roots in activism, neighborhood empowerment, and being self-starters.
Dope Botanicals’ product line. / {Photograph} by Ron Hill Media
How did that manifest for you as you grew up?
Taahirah: Going to high school within the Philadelphia college system with alfalfa sprouts in your sandwich wasn’t actually the factor different youngsters my age have been doing. [Laughs]
Nakia: Yeah, we have been all the time a bit totally different, however we owned it. As time went on, we turned recognized in our neighborhood for our plant-based meals and juices. We even began promoting our creations at a Bikram yoga studio in West Philly a couple of years in the past, which turned successful to the purpose we had a following. Individuals have been texting us on a weekly foundation asking for our meals.
Taahirah: We turned well being coaches quickly after due to the neighborhood demand. We needed to be formally skilled earlier than giving out recommendation to others, particularly as we realized folks wanted extra than simply wholesome meals.
What did they want?
Nakia: After we’d discuss with folks, we understood that they weren’t simply enthusiastic about consuming higher. They needed to enhance different areas of their lives, like sleep, intestine well being and menstruation cycles. It dawned on us that there’s a disconnect between consuming and entire well being, and that wellness is about extra than simply meals — it’s about consumption. (You generally is a sloppy vegan!) There are on a regular basis stressors concerned with dwelling in a metropolis setting that may straight impression your wellness. So we began asking ourselves questions like, “What’s holistic wellness?” and “What does it imply to be entire?” Self-care is a giant motion everybody’s speaking about, however self-care is an actionable merchandise. There are issues that we have now to do as a way to really feel higher — and never simply drink a inexperienced smoothie.
I used to be in Reiki therapeutic coaching on the time, and determined to additionally go into an natural program. Herbs have been such a giant a part of our lives, and we knew firsthand they’d main advantages to wellness. We finally launched Beans + Brains — our enterprise for making meals and juices, and offering well being teaching — round 2016.
The inside of Dope Botanicals. / {Photograph} by Cory J. Popp
It looks as if you turned natural (no pun meant) leaders for plant-based wellness. Is that what drew you to opening a storefront?
Taahirah: The thought of getting our personal store began to germinate from launching Beans + Brains. We have been on the lookout for an area for about 5 years, however couldn’t fairly discover the proper location for us. Plus, we thought that folks would assume we have been a espresso store if we named our store Beans + Brains. We have been brainstorming concepts and I mentioned, “Nicely, we make dope botanicals …” and it simply made sense to have that be our DBA.
Nakia: We needed a brick-and-mortar, too, as a result of there aren’t many natural wellness retailers in Philly. This metropolis has an extended custom of juice bars, which is okay! However we needed to broaden Philly’s mentality and consciousness with a plant apothecary (what we name an a‘plant’ecary) — a cool herb store you possibly can go to the place somebody might help you relieve what’s bothering you, you will get a extremely good beverage, and you’re feeling such as you need to keep there. We knew we had the chance to create one thing new and particular using our backgrounds that felt like an extension of metropolis life, relatively than one thing that feels misplaced within the nitty gritty. While you are available in, you would possibly hear some WuTang together with your wellness!
The place do you get the herbs from?
Nakia: All of our herbs are both in a liquid kind, powder kind, or reduce kind (aka natural teas or stuff you’re going to make use of for infusions). We’ve been working with farms in all places from Vermont to Washington state. We additionally attempt to acquire herbs from their location of origin, and every little thing we use is licensed natural or wild-crafted, that means that any individual responsibly picked them. Regionally, we hope to work with a farm in Doylestown quickly. And hopefully we’ll finally have our personal farm!
Taahirah: We additionally don’t rush any course of. We make most of our creations within the again and let the herbs do their factor for so long as they want. Additionally, all of the tinctures, syrups, smoothies, teas and elixirs we formulate, pressure, mix, label and promote, we’ve been in touch with. Nothing bypasses us.
The natural wall at Dope Botanicals. / {Photograph} by Ron Hill Media
What can a buyer count on after they go to Dope Botanicals?
Taahirah: If somebody is available in with an acute or critical difficulty, we’ll have them undergo an natural session with us so we will create options that work for his or her particular wants. It’s a extra holistic strategy in that case. We even have personalized herb blends and teas at our natural bar. I’ll ask you, “How would you wish to really feel?” as a result of lots of people aren’t accustomed to what herbs assist with sure illnesses. Somebody would possibly simply say they need to really feel good, and I’ll make you our “Joyful Tablet” adaptogenic latte. It incorporates shatavari, mucuna and ashwagandha. Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb that helps wholesome hormone ranges, improves vigor, vitality, and relieves nervousness. Mucuna is a pure supply of the amino acid L-Dopa, which is the precursor to dopamine, the neurotransmitter that ignites pleasure, bliss and pleasure. And ashwagandha can decrease cortisol ranges, enhance cognition, scale back stress and stabilize temper. You actually will really feel good after sipping it!
Nakia: Different necessary issues about us: We don’t use espresso, promote CBD or enable substitutions. We knew with the natural bar, we didn’t need it to change into a smoothie place or a espresso bar the place individuals are including or eliminating components. That’s new to some folks, and it’s only a studying expertise. The thought is that “No, you can’t add Spirulina to that smoothie!”
Sisters Nakia and Taahirah Stith with their natural treatments. / {Photograph} by Ron Hill Media.
Why is that? I’m a beginner at this.
Nakia: Loads of instances, folks come into the store and don’t know the place to start or how you can use our merchandise. And it’s so nice to listen to prospects say they belief us in serving to make them really feel higher. They know we’re not doing “kitchen-sink” herbalism blended with trash components. All the things we create is intentional and formulated with a function. It’s why one of many highest compliments folks give us after they come within the store is saying that our vibe is nonjudgmental and that they really feel welcome, even when they’re completely new to herbs.
Taahirah: It additionally goes again to the concept you could’t tackle each difficulty with one smoothie. Including in every little thing isn’t going to repair or heal you. It’s a possibility to decelerate and take into account what you actually need. Wellness is a course of, not a cleanse or a to-do-list job.
How is your strategy to self-care and wellness totally different to how they’re sometimes talked about?
Taahirah: We strategy these issues — together with herbalism — from the angle of individuals dwelling in a metropolis setting and who’ve excessive ranges of stress. That’s how and the place we grew up, and that’s how and the place we stay now. We don’t have a desert/boho/“Let’s simply relax within the grass” aesthetic — that isn’t the life-style in Philly. Right here, you possibly can’t simply use escapism to make your self properly. As a substitute, self-care in an city setting seems like mitigating stressors. For instance, a Philadelphian would possibly really feel drained as a result of their sleep was disrupted from encountering a bunch of noise air pollution in the course of the night time. To really feel higher in that scenario, they need to determine what they should soothe their nervous system so (1) they’re not wired and (2) the chaos exterior isn’t affecting their insides. We now have the mindset that in order for you actual well being outcomes, you need to take note of what your life truly seems like on a day-to-day foundation and tailor your consumption accordingly.
Dope Botanicals is positioned at 257 South twentieth Road in Rittenhouse.
