We are thrilled that we are able to offer local businesses in our marketplace! One of our favorites is The Juice Shop. We sat down with owner, Meera Patel, to hear more on what inspired the creation of The Juice Shop, the making of accidental recipes, and more.
What is The Juice Shop?
The juice shop is a neighborhood juicery and wellness retail destination. We sell cold pressed juice, superfood smoothies, toasts, salads and snacks.
How did you get into the juice and wellness business?
I LOVE juice! I grew up in SLC and left for college and work- I was in New York City working in marketing and advertising when the pandemic happened. Like many others, I came back to SLC for a bit to wait out the pandemic and found myself so mesmerized by the growth! New, exciting concepts were popping up everywhere and I saw an opportunity to pivot my career and bit and marry my passion points of health, wellness and hospitality with what I’d learned in marketing and apply it to something of my own. The fact that there wasn’t a ton of competition for juice made me realize there was an avenue to do it in a fresh and new way.
What has your path to entrepreneurship looked like?
Completely accidental to be honest! I never knew what I wanted to do for work long-term, but I knew the areas that made me feel happiest and healthiest- community, discovery and experimentation, health/wellness, fitness, creativity- those were all things that I felt were important to me in a job. And so I kept digging into what I could do with my passion points. It’s been an incredibly steep learning curve but I’ve found that if you remain open to new ideas and thinking, and are dedicated to continual improvement over time, entrepreneurship can actually be incredibly rewarding.
What is your favorite memory from the early days of The Juice Shop?
Running around the night before we opened! It was sheer panic, yet so much fun. We were printing menus, buying groceries, installing our equipment, building tables, adjusting everything. It was so agonizing thinking that if it wasn’t perfect, it would be awful and it turned out to be such a memorable night!
Do you come up with the recipes yourself?
Yes! The majority of the menu comes from things that I love to eat/drink myself, and the way I like to eat/drink it. I love experimenting in the kitchen with new flavor combinations that are made better with quality ingredients. Food is meant to evolve, and as we discover new ingredients and techniques, we implement them into what you see on our menu.
What does your recipe experimentation look like?
A lot of times it’s completely accidental. Sometimes I love trying new foods and concepts and will get a spark of inspiration from something I’ve tried. I’ll often source a single product to experiment with and then work on what would pair with it. It’s a very collaborative experience with my team, too where everyone has an opportunity to create something or add to it before we call something ‘menu ready’.
What is your favorite item on the menu? Do you have any new offerings you’re about to roll out?
For a place called The Juice Shop, we couldn’t be more thrilled that The Ritual, our classic green juice, is our best selling (and my favorite!) item on the menu. I also really love our toasts- our beet hummus toast is a best-seller, and so decadent. We pair it with zatar, an israeli spice blend, capers, radishes, cherry tomatoes and an in house chili crunch for a bit of heat. We’re about to roll out a bunch of new things! Good-for-you snacks, bites, and better for you coffee are particularly exciting right now.
What can people best do to support The Juice Shop?
Pop by and say hi! We have plenty of seating for everyone. And tell your friends! Word of mouth is so important to a small business, and we love learning about how our customers found us. Follow us on social and give us a try at The Shop- our cold pressed juices and shots are stocked in the kitchen for Shop guests to enjoy:)