The first time Neil met Audrey, he was not only smitten, he realized their shared values ran so deep, the next day he told his friends “I just met the girl I’m going to marry.”
One year later, he did.
Almost ten years later, Quari Handcrafted Ice was born – on a sunny afternoon with friends on Lake Michigan. That day, Audrey looked down to find the cloudy cubes in her drink had melted far too quickly. And she thought, wouldn’t it be great if ice cubes actually helped us slow down and savor our drinks… and the moment… more? And that triggered a memory in Neil from the three years he’d lived in Japan – and its artisan tradition of crafting everything with a blend of precision and beauty – including ice.
Together, Audrey and Neil went back to Japan to study these principles and committed themselves to bringing beautifully crafted, pure, crystal clear, slow-melt ice to others. And in a nod to the culture that inspired it, they called their creation Quari, which evokes “ice” in Japanese.
Also, by choosing Quari Handcrafted Ice our vision is to have a direct effect on the lives of people who, because of life circumstances, have barely had the chance at a steady job, much less a fulfilling career. You’re giving each of them an opportunity, a fresh start, a future – and a chance to fully enjoy their lives, too.
Here, in our home base of Chicago, we are proud to partner with Cara, Clean Slate, and GRIP Outreach’s Future Steps – organizations with decades of experience transforming lives and making the investments of time and resources that allow those who need it most to reach their potential, and become a powerful force for good in their families and communities.