Just in time for summer, a new local juice place has opened its fruity recipes to the public.
In January, Free Range Juice announced plans to open a store in Lightfoot. The store is run by three women, Lauren Hallczuk, Kelsey Sanders and Katy Henderson, with a goal to spread health and fun to the community through an array of juice, smoothie and other menu items.
“To us it’s bringing that world of health and wellness,” Sanders said. “It’s something new and different for people to experience in Williamsburg.”
The original opening date had been set for March, but Sanders said it had to be pushed back slightly to adjust for construction efforts. Previously, the store’s location had been home to a print shop so Sanders said a lot of adjustments had to be made to make it restaurant-ready.
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The idea for a juice bar had been in the works for a while when the trio, who had previously been friends for years, realized they could spread their healthy lifestyles to the community together.
Since announcing their business in January, the owners have been busy planning and decorating the space.
“A lot of it is we wanted there to be a warm and welcoming environment,” Sanders said. “We wanted to take the time to make it feel unique and include a lot of neat touches. It’s a labor of love.”
Some of the unique details are a refurbished church pew for seating and a wooded wall with material from Johnny Timbers Tree Service that helps give the spot an earthy feel.
There are seven staff members at the new location that Sanders said have been trained with health and wellness knowledge to best serve guests and needs in the community. The new business will be next to Henderson’s first yoga studio business, Studio South.
The store has had a soft opening since April 10 and since then, Sanders said they’ve received nothing but positive and welcoming feedback from the community.
But on Saturday, the store will host its grand opening with a number of activities and free items for guests. Some of the activities during the event will be a raffle and chair massages from Pinto Chiropractic and Rehabilitation.
Additionally, the business will be giving out free t-shirts for guests who sign up for their membership program, which allows customers to receive a monthly juice cleanse of their choosing. Those interested can also buy a monthly cleanse set at a discount.
For those who want to spread the wellness, the Studio South will be collecting yoga mats and donations for its program that brings yoga to under-served communities, Sanders said.
Most importantly, Sanders said she and her co-owners are just excited to see their passion come to life in a place they love.
“It’s really just going to be a fun event where you can (not only) get your juice but be a part of the community,” Sanders said. “It’s been such an amazing process to work with these incredible women who bring so much creativity and knowledge to the juice world.”
Free Range Juice’s open house will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first 50 customers will receive a free juice. To learn more, visit Free Range Juice online.
