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Juice Couture HealtHy drinks concept comes to t-town T
uscaloosa juice lovers may have a new main squeeze. Juice Bar, which opened earlier this year in the Shoppes at Legacy Park on McFarland Boulevard, is drawing college students who know what chia seeds and acai berries are and older folks who have not a clue. For those who don’t know much about healthy drinking, Paige Spiller, Juice Bar’s manager, is happy to help. “With a lot of adults, I try to help educate them,” Spiller said. “I ask them what they’re hungry for — lunch or just a snack? Our smoothies are heavier and fill you up more than the juices.” Spiller and her staff are welcoming and approachable, and so are their surroundings. Juice Bar has a vibe that combines homey and edgy, with wide wooden boards surrounding the counter where you order, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, a concrete floor and a cushy sofa as well as tables and chairs for customers. Spiller said that while spinach and kale are the base for many drinks, other ingredients make this combo tastier. “Sweet Greens is our No. 1 seller,” she said. “It has spinach, kale, parsley, lemon, cucumbers and apples.” Juices like Orange You Glad (with carrots, naturally) have apples and pineapple to add some sweetness plus lemon, ginger and mint for extra flavor. We Got the Beet (you can figure out its main ingredient) also has apples, ginger, lemon and carrots. Smoothies range from the Berry Good, with blueberries, bananas, cashews, lemon and coconut milk, to the PB&J with peanut butter, bananas, strawberries, organic apple juice and flax seed. “That one tastes just like peanut butter and jelly in a glass,” Spiller said. The Green Smoothie is another “huge” seller, she said. “You don’t really taste the kale and spinach, because it also has lemon, bananas and pineapple.” Also popular is the Acai Bowl smoothie. “Acai berries are from Brazil and are a superfood,” Spiller said. “We top it with granola and local honey, which we also sell.” Health-conscious customers usually add something extra, she said.
“Most people get shots — allergy shots, sniffle stoppers, or Slim and Sassy, which is a metabolic booster,” Spiller said. “You can get an energizer with peppermint and wild orange. Some have garlic.” Juice Bar also has non-liquid items, like housemade hummus, salad boxes and cups, sprout sandwiches, spring rolls, kale chips and muffins. “Our V’s Raw Protein Bars are by Vanessa Harmon,” Spiller said. “They’re not pretty, but they’re very tasty.” Juice Bar also offers cleanses, which are programs where, for a period of time, you consume only fruit and vegetable juices for nutrition. “You can do a one-day cleanse to a 30-day,” Spiller said. “You choose. You fill out a form, and we have it ready the next day. Juices are in Mason jars, and you get six juices to drink per day. You can do it for weight loss or to reboot your system.” Spiller, a Tuscaloosa native, has a bachelor’s degree in wellness management from the University of Alabama. “I’ve been in fitness all my life,” Spiller said. “I was managing group fitness at Fitness One here, but I needed a new adventure.” She grew up in the retail world with her family’s company, Spiller Furniture, she said. “I was comfortable with customer service, but I didn’t realize I was stepping into the restaurant business with Juice Bar,” she said. John and Vui Hunt started Juice Bar in Nashville, Tenn., in 2013. The company has locations in 15 states, according to its website. Other Alabama stores are in Birmingham, Huntsville and Madison. “Now, this is like my house and having guests come,” Spiller said. “It’s like entertaining all day long.”
Juice Bar is open 7 a.m.7 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. saturdays; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. sundays. For more inFormation, visit www.ilovejuicebar. com or the tuscaloosa store’s Facebook page. TOP RIGHT: Cassie Winter juices fruits and vegetables at the Juice Bar. CENTER: An Acai Berry juice drink. RIGHT: Fresh ingredients to be added to drinks.
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