Two friends are out to create an oasis for the health-minded Columbus consumer. Native Cold Pressed will open their Short-North doors to serve raw, organic cold pressed juices.
Co-Owners Nicole Salvo and Erin Thacker are gearing up for a February opening of the first stand-alone, cold pressed juice bar in Columbus. Native Cold Pressed will serve a menu of juices the owners mixed themselves with ingredients from local and U.S.-based organic farms.
Salvo recently answered our questions about Native and tells us how a passion for healthy living turned into a new and unique business concept in Columbus.
[M] Tell us about your background as it relates to Native Cold Pressed.
Native: Erin and I both have a long history in the service industry – Erin having 13 years experience working, opening and managing Columbus establishments such as the Rossi and Harvest Pizzeria, and mine extending from fine dining establishments like Spiaggia in Chicago, to working for one of our local favorites, Northstar Cafe.
We both also have substantial backgrounds working in the the health and wellness industry. Erin works with herbs and botanicals as healing modalities and teaches private yoga. I am a full-time yoga instructor in the Columbus area and have experience assisting and working with a well-known LA-based raw food chef while traveling abroad.
We both were drawn to the holistic lifestyle through our individual yoga practices and each had life changing experiences with the introduction of juicing, raw food, holistic nutrition, etc. into our lives.
[M] When will the store open? What can a customer expect to find at Native?
Native: We are aiming to open February 1st. Our menu is exclusively raw, cold pressed juices, always housed in glass bottles, always organic. We currently have 13 recipes that Erin and I have developed over the past year and each ingredient is pressed separately and combined by hand. Cold pressing is an intricate and complex process, and we are dedicated to creating the most pure, intentional, exquisite juice for the Columbus community to experience.
[M] Will you use local and/or Ohio-based ingredients?
Native: As much as we can! Because of the high volume of produce it takes to create the amount of juice that we intend to press, most local organic farms cannot supply in the winter. But as soon as spring hits, we intend to utilize and highlight local, organic farms with our weekly specials. What we guarantee is that every ingredient we use will be grown within the U.S. (with the exception of coconuts) and always organically farmed.
[M] What has the process of starting your own business been like? What challenges and opportunities have you found?
Native: We have been working on Native together since last January and our concept has transformed many times because of everything from Ohio health laws, to market and field research, to random epiphanies. Putting together all of our financial projections and our full business plan were challenging, as well as acquiring the retail space that we are so fortunate to now have. The opportunities lie in the sheer amount of amazing people we have on our team, all working to evolve Native into a neighborhood oasis for wellness.
[M] What makes Columbus, and specifically Short North, a good location for a juice bar?
Native: The advantage is that there are very few establishments in the Short North focusing exclusively on a lifestyle, consumable product that promotes pure, overall health and wellness. From the sheer amount of gyms and yoga studios within a five mile radius, to the supportive local businesses surrounding us, to the audience of health conscious professionals that reside in the neighborhood, we feel the Short North is the ideal setting for Native to thrive. Also, Native will be the first stand-alone, cold pressed juice bar in Columbus, and we feel the market is ready for a unique, high quality health product.
[M] What has the buzz been like?
Native: Erin and I both live in the Short North and are always in the area dining, working, etc. The buzz is definitely alive! With the support of our amazing neighbors, we definitely both feel the buzz growing among the community as they are ready to add this product to their daily health routine.
For more information, email [email protected] or visit facebook.com/nativecoldpressed.
