& Juice Co. will bring cold-pressed juice and vegan snacks to three Columbus neighborhoods by this spring.
The first of its trio is already up and running in Upper Arlington at 4939 Dierker Rd., the former home of a defunct Samba Fresh, with Clintonville just weeks away at 4493 N. High St. in the Beechwold Plaza, taking over a space once occupied by Satruday’s salon.
& Juice Co. CEO Eliah Thomas says expanding to Clintonville was a no-brainer. With a love for the community, and a location next to frequented joints like Chipotle and Panera, “It was right in the pathway of everyone that we’re trying to reach,” Thomas says.
She’s confident the community will embrace & Juice Co.’s offerings and sees the convenient location as a factor that will help push juice even further into the mainstream.
& Juice Co.’s third location, which will open in Italian Village later this spring at 991 N. Fourth St., is a more emerging market for the brand, but situated with other like-minded businesses and just a short drive from Downtown. From neighborhood to neighborhood, Thomas says they’ll localize each store to the community it serves.
As for what & Juice Co. will be serving, the juice joint boasts 40 formulations.
“We small batch every day, pressing every single day,” Thomas says.
The shop centers its formulations around health and wellness, basing its offerings around five categories: fruits, roots, citruses, proteins and vida waters. Each ingredient is considered for what it will do for a drinker’s body, and Thomas says many customers come in knowing just which formulation they need.
& Juice Co. offers juice shots as well, with ginger being the most popular. Thomas says two ounces of fresh-squeezed ginger juice and lingering or oncoming colds be gone.
There will be solids, too. & Juice Co. actually finds its origins in a kale chip operation. A group of like-minded friends interested in healthy living were discussing the effects of a more whole fruit and vegetable based diet. They decided it was time to go from spreading the word of kale to squeezing juice.
In the chip department, original and vegan jalapeño cheddar versions of the kale are joined by beet chips and banana chips. They’ve also created the vegan equivalent of a beef stick with their Vida Slim, an umami-packed combo of beets, carrots, turmeric, garlic, lemon, jalapeño, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
As & Juice Co.’s additional locations open, their offerings will expand as well. First up its a line of seven seasonal smoothies that will rotate throughout the year. More solids are in the future with snack and grab-and-go foods like plant-based wraps and salads. Thomas says whatever comes in fresh and looks great will dictate the menu.
Production will be split between the kitchens. Clintonville will serve as the main prep kitchen and commissary for the juicing half of the operation. Customers will also be able to see into the space.
“We want our customer to actually be able to look in and see how it’s happening,” Thomas says.
Upper Arlington will become the production kitchen for & Jucie Co.’s food line.
Its three locations won’t be the only places customers can find & Jucie Co.’s sippables. The brand is developing partnerships with a number of other like-minded businesses, like vegan joint Eden Burger. The restauranteurs didn’t want to serve soda, opting to offer meal-sized versions of juices to wash their burgers down.
& Jucie Co. is also the official juice provider for the Columbus Crew SC. The juciery works with players, coaches and nutritionists to create juices formulated for each team member’s needs. They’ll extend their offerings to fan this season as well with a smoothie stand at Mapfre Stadium.
For more information, visit andjuiceco.com.
