Growing up in South Brooklyn, the Hasanov brothers, Farrukh (28) and Farkhad (29), have been frequenting Astoria since they were kids.

In love with the neighborhood (who could blame them) they came for the same reason most do; the diverse community and the food that goes with it.

Now the two successful brothers have a brand new Organic Cafe opening up on their horizon. And there was only one place they wanted to hang up their hats – right here in the heart of Astoria, Broadway.

Natures Soul Organic Café is the amalgamation of the Hasanovs love of health and the need to produce healthy food alternatives that don’t come with bland tastes.

It was that determination to make healthy food that people can enjoy which gave the brothers the idea for an organic café, and why we wanted to know more!

 

So why did you pick Astoria?

‘We love Astoria. We grew up in South Brooklyn, but since we were kids we used to come here and hang out. The neighborhood reminded us of home, it’s a community. And now Astoria is becoming more and more health conscious, so we knew if we were to open a healthy organic café it would have to be here’

 

Why go healthy?

We’ve both spent some time in California over the years and we couldn’t help notice how much more health conscious they are over there. New York is catching up, but it’s slow, and there’s a lot of temptations. So since leading a healthy life is so important to us, we wanted to give people a chance to taste great food that isn’t bland and boring, but rich and full of flavors.

 

What’s wrong with the food these days?

When people think of eating healthy and keeping fit, they always think of dry chicken breasts and tasteless greens and rice. We wanted to give them something else. Our food isn’t just organic, but also made with the freshest ingredients. We also do some of the best cold pressed juices around!

 

Cold pressed juices you say?

We have two kinds, regular juices and cold pressed. Cold pressed makes sure that it squeezes the juice out rather than the regular juicers which chop the fruits or vegetables down. By pressing the juice out we don’t destroy any of the great nutrients that regular juicers cut out. This gives our customers juices that are fresher and richer in vitamins.

 

Do you offer takeaway?

Absolutely. We’re actually going to have a wide range of bottled juices we’re going to make right here in shop that people can buy, along with our acai bowls and other foods, of course.

 

There’s no doubt Farrukh and Farkhad know what they’re doing when it comes to health. And many in the area may just find themselves becoming regular’s pre or post gym or yoga.

 

We caught up with Steve Lelekidis, Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker at Astoria’s Modern Spaces, who helped the brothers find the perfect spot.

 

“Most of the new storefronts in Astoria are being occupied by trendy bars and eateries  – it’s refreshing to have a shop that focuses on a health conscious menu” Steve told Give Me Astoria about the soon to be arrival.

“Broadway was one of the main retail strips of Astoria from decades ago, but with the more popular Ditmars Blvd and 30th Avenue, it has been left in the background. I truly believe Nature’s Soul Organic Cafe will help contribute to the resurgence of Broadway.”

 

It seems that Farrukh and Farkhad are looking to the future by picking Broadway. The once bustling main street of Astoria went quiet for a while, however with the recent boom in both business and residents flocking to our part of the world, it’s seeing an injection of vitality stream through its various shopfronts.

With an opening date of February 2017, Nature’s Soul Organic Café is definitely one we’ll keep an eye on.