Columbia University Brings Health Food and Juice Bar to its Manhattanville Campus

Oasis Jimma Juice Bar, a minority-owned juice bar and café, has signed a lease with Columbia University to open a new location at Columbia Business School’s Henry R. Kravis Hall.

Founded in 2012, Oasis Jimma Juice Bar stands as a harmonious convergence of flavor and health with an unwavering commitment to offering healthy and affordable fruit and vegetable-based options. Their new location in Henry R. Kravis Hall will be just over 1,000 square feet and serve healthy juices and smoothies with breakfast, sandwiches, salads, and more. The new space is anticipated to open in fall of 2024 and will be Oasis Jimma Juice Bar’s fourth location in Upper Manhattan.

The story of Oasis Jimma Juice Bar’s Ethiopian-born owner, Abdusalam Abajebel, exemplifies the American Dream. In an interview with Bon Appetit, Abajebel described how his vision to create Oasis Jimma Juice Bar came to fruition. Abajebel’s father was a holistic doctor in their town in Ethiopia, which made an impression on him as a child. Shortly after immigrating to the United States in 2012, Abajebel learned he had diabetes, prompting him to turn to holistic nutrition and his father’s teachings to treat his ailments. Abajebel saw success with his homemade juices and began selling them to local institutions. Later that year, Abajebel took a leap of faith and opened Oasis Jimma Juice Bar in Harlem.

“The decision to establish our fourth location at Columbia University's Henry R. Kravis Hall, Manhattanville Campus, feels like a natural progression. Our ties with Columbia University have deepened over time; we've served students, collaborated with the staff, provided catering services for diverse events, and made deliveries to various schools. We are incredibly excited to embark on this collaboration, furthering our mission while strengthening our relationship with the Columbia community,” said Abajebel.

Oasis Jimma Juice Bar will be the second retail tenant in Henry R. Kravis Hall’s small-format retail spaces along 12th Avenue, joining the fitness and yoga studio, Method Collective. The four spaces, each sized under 2,000 square feet, are designed to attract entrepreneurial tenants like Oasis Jimma Juice Bar by offering a unique opportunity to house their businesses.

Columbia owns and manages retail space across the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses, and its long-standing retail approach favors businesses that bring a variety of amenities and experiences to Columbia and its local communities. Oasis Jimma Juice Bar will join several other local businesses that have recently opened or signed leases in Columbia buildings in Morningside Heights and Manhattanville, including HIIT The Deck, Method Collective, FIELDTRIP, Ban Ban Shop, Miznon, and Sapp’s Restaurant.

To learn more about Oasis Jimma Juice Bar, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.