Introduction

Aura Wellness Bar is a relatively young name in the Portuguese health food scene with two establishments in Lisbon and a third one recently opened in Porto. Serving a vibrant and innovative range of smoothies, cold-pressed juices and health-forward menu of snacks and meals, the brand’s wellness bars are a delight to visit. The original location is situated conveniently close to Jardim da Estrela. Perfect for grabbing a juice or smoothie on the way so you can connect with nature externally and internally by nourishing your body with carefully considered top-tier functional nutrients as you walk around the beautiful gardens.

I first came across Aura Wellness Bar on a Sunday morning on my way home from a pilates class towards the end of last year. In fact, it wasn’t the aforementioned original location but the newer one in the MVMT Studio in Lapa that I discovered. The sun had come out - a phenomenon that cannot be taken for granted in November, even in Lisbon - and I had the sudden inclination to pause and catch up with my thoughts on a park bench overlooking the river. But wouldn’t that be nicer with a coffee? Hmm where would I get that around here? I wasn’t going to walk all the way back to the stretch of cafés closer to Santos. But hadn’t I seen some sort of café through the window of that new fitness studio out of the corner of my eye before? I knew it was just a few meters back and so that’s where I went.

When I entered, two fit and friendly men greeted me with a smile as I opened the door. “Are you here for the workshop?” one of them asked. I felt guilty. That Sunday morning guilt is all too familiar to an Irish Catholic - when you haven’t gone to mass… Nowadays, it appears in other forms i.e. when you haven’t gone to the gym or got up as early as you should have - to go for a run or get through the household chores. Even though I’d already been to a rather intensive reformer pilates class, I felt caught. Only for a fleeting moment and this is very much on me, not them I must stress. “Um no…” I apologised. “I was just going to get a coffee over there if that’s possible…” I explained awkwardly, nodding towards the counter to the left. They laughed and told me no, that that was not possible - that I could only get a coffee if I signed up the workshop! But they were only joking, thankfully. “Next time!” I promised, as I made my way to the counter.

There was a woman ahead of me who turned around with the most beautiful smoothie in her hand. A jar filled with swirls of blue and topped with some sort of white cream… It looked like a pastel cloud in a jar… A work of art. It also reminded me of the famous Erewhon smoothies I had seen on Instagram but I have since learnt that these ones may be even better… I have not been to LA since 2018 so I cannot compare but so rumour has it! While I was tempted to try, I wasn’t actually in the mood for a smoothie that morning and so I stuck with my original plan and ordered a takeaway coffee. This seemed like a waste, considering what I had seen pass me by but just like the workshop, there would be a next time to try new things, I promised myself.

The woman serving me was so warm and friendly. We got into conversation and I learnt that her name was Leonor and that she was one of the founders of the business… And as I studied the menu and took in the energy of the place, I immediately knew she was creating something very special!

Espaços e Achados was only in its embryonic state in my mind at the time but I told her about the concept and that I was looking for businesses to feature and entrepreneurs to interview for the new online magazine and would she consider being one of them. She was delighted at the prospect and gave me her business card to get in touch when I was ready. I told her I would be in touch once the website is up and running in a couple of weeks!

I left Aura Wellness Bar that morning, not only with a delicious coffee in my hand, but also a sense that what I was creating was becoming real. Had I really just told a real live Portuguese entrepreneur about my new platform and provisionally booked in an interview? Yes, I had… And so there was no going back now. I would make it happen. As it happened, the website was not ready within the following two weeks (they never are!) and then Christmas got in the way… Along with my other work commitments and the relentless rain of January and February this year. It was hard to feel motivated under that weather but somehow, the Espaços e Achados website was born along the way and while I have lined up other interviewees and businesses to feature, in my head, I knew Leonor had to be first because she was the first one who I told about it and it was her response that gave me a sign and the encouragement to kickstart this platform. And so between the jigs and the reels, we finally made the interview happen. I hope you enjoy our conversation and if you have yet to try Aura Wellness Bar, I cannot recommend it enough! They offer so many treats that are delicious and good for you..

Our Conversation

Tell us a bit about your journey so far… Where are you from and what did you work in before you started Aura Wellness Bar?

I am from Portugal. I was born in Lisbon but then I lived in a smaller city until I was 18. Then for university, I came to Lisbon to pursue Asian Studies. So my background is completely different from where I’ve ended up now! But I think that has given me a wider perspective on different realities and I truly enjoyed what I was doing because I continued my studies. I have a Bachelors and a Masters in Asian Studies. I focused a lot on China, specifically on the culture, religion and art. Right after my Masters, I managed to get an internship in an art gallery and that turned into a social media and communications job so I was there for quite a while. For three years. I ended up doing a little bit of everything and what I enjoyed most about that job was talking to people.

Then Aura came a little bit later… My best friends were living in Portugal at the time. They’re both American and they wanted to invest in Portugal and also bring wellness to Portugal. And I’ve always had this skill of communicating and so they told me I would be the perfect person to open this with. And also, I was in need of something more exciting than just being inside an office so it felt aligned. And so the three of us ended up merging our love for cooking, our love for each other and our love for wellness and opening Aura.

When did you guys start?

We started almost three years ago… In September of 2023 I believe…

That’s when you first opened?

Yes. We started off with this location in Estrela and it was essentially just me and Nate working on site so we were rotating shifts between the kitchen and upstairs. And it was very messy in the beginning but very soon, we started to see that people in the neighbourhood really loved our products. We always had the notion that wellness was always somewhat associated with boring food and we wanted to make sure that that would not be the case here and so we really devoted ourselves to making really good recipes and using really good products, in order to differentiate ourselves in the market and establish our presence but also, just to do what we love, which is making good food.

And it was a sense of community when we started… We had returning customers and it was actually crazy, we opened while heading towards the winter, which was a little bit challenging, considering so much of our offering is cold, but this sense of community soon emerged and that was what really kept us here. People kept coming back and this was very encouraging.

So it was a very organic evolution… Would you say there was anything in particular that inspired you to start Aura? As you were developing the concept, what were the main points of inspiration that played a part?

I think that the inspiration and creativity came more from my business partners, Nate and Dom because they’ve always been very into health and wellness. Dom is a complete supplement geek! He would make us take all these supplements and I think that his knowledge and what he taught us brought a lot of the functionality to our products as well. And Nate has a fantastic sense of image and branding and I have a fantastic sense of people… And so, we all brought all these things together. The concept was definitely more theirs to start with but I brought some know-how in terms of how to adapt it to the Portuguese market. This was important even though our customers are a good mix of Portuguese and ex-pats… I think I managed to ground the business a little bit while they came up with the vision of being this wellness-oriented brand. Overall, I would say that the business was born more from their genius than mine but we all complemented each other very well in its development.

Sounds like a dream team! And Nate is the space designer?

Yes. And Dom has founded and scaled multiple businesses in the US so he really brought along a sense of business and management know-how and he also made sure to guide me on this. Now I know how to manage a business and before I had no idea. There has definitely been a lot of personal growth through Aura!

And where does the name come from? Why did you guys choose Aura?

I think it’s because we wanted to choose a name that would be universal… So you could understand and relate to it, whether you are a foreigner or you see it outside of Portugal and it’s the same name in Portuguese, Aura! It was all about conveying how our products are meant to make you feel and how the healthy choices in our product range can contribute to a sense of wellbeing inside of yourself. “Aura” was the perfect name for that.

“We wanted to choose a name that would be universal… So you could understand and relate to it, whether you are a foreigner or you see it outside of Portugal and it’s the same name in Portuguese, Aura! It was all about conveying how our products are meant to make you feel and how the healthy choices in our product range can contribute to a sense of wellbeing inside of yourself. “Aura” was the perfect name for that.”

Can you remember the first time that you had a sign or things just clicked and you knew you were on the right track?

Yes. There were a lot of challenging things with the business and especially construction-wise. Everything seemed to be crumbling apart… Electronics.. Fridges and all of that and then all of a sudden when we were in the midst of all these crazy things - we had a leak, everything was going wrong! But in that moment of chaos, a couple of customers came in and they were so nice to us.

They said, “What you’re doing is absolutely fantastic! We keep coming back every time we are in Lisbon. We actually came to Lisbon because we wanted to see you guys again! Not only for the food but also for the energy that you’ve created...”

And I remember me and Nate were on the other side of the counter and we looked at each other in the midst of all this hell… And that was the moment we both had this feeling - just seeing our returning customers and hearing what they said… Suddenly, everything made sense and that told us that we were doing something right even though it seemed as though everything was falling apart! It was then that we knew we would persevere and make it through.

And when was that moment?

That was in spring 2024.

What were the biggest challenges in setting up the business? Or maybe they’re challenges that are ongoing…

I think that the bureaucracy around building a business in Portugal is probably one of the biggest ones. And I don’t just mean developing a business but literally building a space for your business… I feel that Portugal is a little bit behind in terms of meeting adequate construction standards. Just because I think every time you try to build something, there is always a little bit of something missing. Or something collapsing! And bureaucracy wise, I find the same. I think that the Junta de Freguesia da Estrela could do a little bit better with bringing more dynamics to the street and making things easier for local business owners. That’s one of the biggest challenges. I also think the seasonality of our business can be challenging… Because we work mainly with cold products - the smoothies and juices are our biggest sellers. So every time winter comes, there’s always a little bit of a downturn. While we really try to fight the seasonality of our offering, sometimes it’s tricky.

Maybe you could go into soups… Do you do soups?

Yes, we do soups! We do homemade bone broth and a lot of hearty products to fight the seasonality but I have also observed that a lot of our customers are foreigners and they spend winters away and then they also go away in the peaks of summer… We feel that in the business and these cycles are harder to fight!

And what do you do to manage stress? Do you have a daily practice? How do you cope when things get overwhelming?

In the beginning, I wasn’t coping very well but now I’ve turned to yoga, which is something I’ve explored - not just because of Aura but especially because of Aura as the business has connected me with more like-minded people in the wellness community and different paths have opened up through that. Yoga has helped monumentally with my stress management and mindfulness.

I also feel that surrounding yourself with the right people really can take a lot of stress off your plate. I am so fortunate to have a team that I can trust - that things are not going to collapse by delegating and trusting them and that has also contributed greatly to my peace of mind. As well as supplementation! Because I do take a lot of magnesium! Magnesium and functional mushrooms. They bring me more focus, more attention and also they ensure that I am on top of my game.

So these juices and smoothies help as well?

Definitely, yes!

Do you have a mentor? Or is there any particular person who inspires you?

I would have to say my business partner, Dom. I’ve always seen him that way - ever since I met him and we met each other six years ago, which is crazy when I think about it. He’s been a fantastic person in terms of support and not only business-wise but also friendship-wise. I feel like he’s the person that I look up to the most. He makes me believe that everything is achievable. Him and Nate - they’ve made me believe in a friendship beyond what I ever thought was possible.

That’s beautiful! How did you guys meet actually?

We met through a mutual friend at a house party and we simply connected immediately. And we just became really good friends ever since. And they also met my partner - my life partner - and the four of us just became a very tight-knit group of friends and there are no other people I would love more to have going through life together besides them.

That sounds like destiny!

It was destiny, for sure!

Where is the most inspiring place you have ever travelled to? The place that your mind often returns to…

Vietnam. Specifically Da Nang. I have this bug in me that needs to return there. I haven’t been there since 2019 but I haven’t ever felt a connection to anywhere in the way that I felt there. When I was at the airport, all I wanted to do was cry because I didn’t want to leave. And that was at the end of a three-month trip so I was very nostalgic but honestly I have never felt such a strong connection to any other place on this earth.

Do you feel this was a past life connection? Did you just feel at home as soon as you got there or was this something that grew on you over the time you spent there?

I felt at home immediately when I got there. I had never felt like that. Usually, I tend to need an adjustment period but I just felt like I belonged there. I loved the streets. I loved the people…I loved the food. I loved the nature. It’s like the Miami of Asia. It has this beachfront and beautiful nature all around it. I really can’t explain it. Maybe a past life. Maybe a calling. I just know I need to go back there… One of my main drivers behind growing Aura is the desire to have the opportunity to see more of the world - not just in terms of wellness but also to know more communities, to know more people and to be able to go back there. Because I feel like there is something that I left there and I need to go back for it!

Do you speak any Asian languages? Did you study any through your course at university?

I studied some languages. I studied Mandarin for five years but I don’t speak it… I haven’t practised for five years but I could speak a little bit if you speak to me very slowly! I also studied Korean, Persian and formal Arabic for a little bit. I really love languages. I speak four. Well, fluently three - I’m working on the fourth, which is French… And then eventually I’ll pick Mandarin back up!

And did you pick up any Vietnamese while in Vietnam?

Well yes, the common expressions such as thank you, may I come in… All those things - I learnt a little bit… We did a volunteering programme for three months through which we were teaching English to children and it ended up being a bit of a reciprocal thing. So I learnt all the names of the animals! I knew how to order my food but that was the main extent of what I learnt but because I had studied the culture for so many years, I felt really connected to the place regardless. On a personal level, I have never felt so welcomed anywhere. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

Would you say anything in Vietnam has influenced you here?

I would have to say, the kindness of the people. I have never felt more genuine kindness from where we were staying. Everywhere we went, everyone was so nice. I just felt this welcoming energy and this connection. It is this same energy I want to transmit to my customers. I want people to feel connected, not just to our products but to our staff and to the people that manage the business. All I want is to bring kindness to the world. That’s my goal in life. And with Aura, I feel I can do that. Through this business, I’m able to reach more people than I imagined. And I feel I picked up a little bit of that goal and that way of being in Vietnam.

If you had a friend of a friend visiting Lisbon for the first time, what are the top 3 places you would recommend they visit?

Foodwise or culture wise?

Anything! It can be a mix.

Ok… Wellness apart, I would definitely recommend that they go to Black Sheep. It’s my favourite natural wine bar in the world. Not just because the wine is fantastic but the staff are absolutely amazing. Everyone is just so nice… And you don’t really see new employees. You see the same people over the years and years that pass and I think that says a lot about the business and the culture within it. You just always feel so welcome there.

I would definitely also recommend that they go to one of the beaches in Setubal or Arrábida. I think those are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and you can also get some hiking in and really appreciate the beauty of not just Lisbon but also its surrounding areas. And then you can finish off with a fantastic dinner of seafood or grilled fish. You really get a sense of true Portuguese culture around there.

I also definitely have to recommend just strolling around the city. I know it’s hard. The hills are insane! But you can do a little tour and end up in Estrela, which is where Aura is located and where I live… I have never felt such welcoming energy from Lisbon and I really feel with the Jardim da Estrela, you really find everything you could want. The sense of peace and tranquility… Really beautiful examples of exotic flowers… I really think just strolling around Lisbon gives you this fantastic energy! And there is also a lot of calmness in this busy city. Sometimes it’s hard to find when all you see is cars everywhere but if you really look and explore, you will find some nooks where there is a great sense of peace.

That’s so true actually! You’re absolutely right. What are the main three values driving the business and brand?

Customer service. And I don’t say that without any meaning. It is one of the fundamental pillars of our business that differentiates us from other brands. You really feel the friendliness of the people that serve you when you walk into any of our locations. That’s something that we really want to cultivate. And so we are very careful about choosing the people who work for us because that standard of welcome and friendliness is something we always want to maintain. I feel that’s even more important than the food. It’s the experience that you get when you come to the store…

I also think a sense of community… We really want to build upon the wellness and healthy lifestyle concept but also on the friendships we form amongst the customers and the connections formed between those who connect over a smoothie or a cold-pressed juice. And also even the connections that are formed through the friendliness of our staff. And this sense of community is one of the reasons why we use glass packaging because I really want to make sure that people come back and keep returning…

Sustainability is also one of our core values. We want to encourage a sense of responsibility towards the environment and I feel that’s one of the key differentiators of Aura - that everything is served in glass or recyclable and compostable packaging wherever we can.

I also want people to know that healthy food does not have to be boring or difficult. It can be sustainable and it can be attainable. It doesn’t have to be extremely expensive and you really can nourish your body while making conscious decisions and you don’t have to sacrifice in order to do so.

Is there a rule with the jars? Do people bring them back?

Not as often as we wanted but some people do!

So you give them away as a gift essentially?

We wanted to stay away from plastic as much as possible and the only way we could do that was by using glass packaging. We have a return policy that we give you free items and rewards for certain quantities of glass jars and glass bottles that you bring back… And people really adhere to that! Most of our customers are regulars so it’s easy for them to bring the jars back and it also just really creates a sense of community…

Sometimes I go to houses of people I don’t know… Friends of friends and I see Aura jars everywhere. And that feels really nice to know that these people have been to Aura and consumed our smoothies and that they kept the jars and they are now using them for their pantries. And that serves one of our purposes - our intention to recycle and reuse and repurpose things… So even if the jars don’t return to us, seeing something like that is very fulfilling because it still carries the brand values forward.

What do you want people to think of when they see the name Aura Wellness Bar?

I want them to smile and I want them to be happy and I want them to think about the good experience they had while drinking their smoothie. I want them to think about how good the food was. And I want them to think about going back to Aura because the people were so nice! And sustainability… I also want them to think of that.

Are you a tea or coffee person?

I’m a tea person. I love coffee but I really love tea. Oh and that is something to add to the previous answer about places I recommend visiting in Lisbon… People really need to go to Companhia Portugueza do Chá. This is where we source all our teas and when you walk in, it’s like stepping into another world. One of my favourite hobbies is to go there as soon as I finish my teabags so I can get some new ones that I haven’t tried. So I’m definitely a tea person!

So you’d drink tea every day?

Every day!

And coffee?

Every day as well… Way more than I should!

But tea first?

No, tea after!

And is there any particular tea that you find yourself drinking a lot?

I have recently found a black tea that has some vanilla notes in it and it just feels like you’re having a vanilla cupcake with black tea so I think that one would have to be on my top tier. That one and Genmaicha Matcha.

Are you a morning or evening person?

A morning person through and through. I’d rather get up as early as possible than do anything at night.. I move with the sun! I get up with the sun and when the sun is out, so am I!

What is your favourite thing on your menu?

The Joy Smoothie. Because I love Christmas and I love all the Christmas desserts and with this one, I feel like you’re having Christmas in a jar but at the same time, it’s cold so you can have it at any time of the year!

What’s your favourite music to play at work?

I think music is one of the biggest parts of my life. I was actually reflecting on that recently - that ours is the generation that music is the most accessible for. And of course, music contributes to the vibe of this place as well. My personal taste is extremely eclectic. I love everything… But what I think what fits the space and the brand most is either something groovy or disco-ey - any Michael Jackson album - especially his earlier stuff and I think RnB really fits the vibe as well. That’s probably one of my favourite genres. I love hip-hop but I like it especially when it’s more melodic.. The Fugees, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu… I think their music is perfect for this place. Sunshine music!

What fulfils you most about running the business?

The reactions of our customers and the friendships I’ve made with some of them… I really like when customers come in and say they love our products or that they were so well treated or they love the curation of the things that we have here. It really makes running this business worth it. And the fact that our business partners - MVMT and Prescription Pilates - were our customers first and they wanted to build the business with us… That these partnerships were based on the products and experience alone - just really makes it all worthwhile and shows me that we’re on the right track.

Do you have a goal for the Year of the Horse? You’ve already opened a new location!

Yes, in Porto, so that one has been ticked off already! But I want to at least start the process of opening another location this year… I would love for our next location to be in Cascais. And I would also love to do a summer pop-up for Aura somewhere. And as for my own goal, I would love to become the healthiest version of myself.

Well you’re in the right place for that!

Yes, for sure!

What’s your vision/dream for the future of Aura?

I would love for Aura to be present and more accessible in more locations. Because I feel that healthy food is not a foreign concept to people but it is an expensive one. And I would love us to be in places where it would make sense… In Holmes Place for example. As it is immediately associated with wellness and movement, which are things we can really make a connection with. And I know this is a crazy goal but I’d love to see Aura at the airport because I feel every time you are going through the airport and flying places, it’s hard to find healthy options. And even the healthy choices at airports are not really that healthy…So what we offer could work really well…You could take a smoothie or a good salad on the plane with you… So that would be a long-term goal but something I would love to happen!

And what about internationally? Would you like to expand overseas?

Yes. We’re thinking about that…I don’t want to say much but we are working on that as well!

Thank you Leonor! We look forward to watching Aura Wellness continue its exciting journey and evolution!