We are thrilled to introduce Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar, the newest culinary gem in our vibrant community. This health-conscious haven is here to nourish your body and delight your taste buds with a delectable array of fresh, wholesome offerings. From nutrient-packed salads and nourishing grain bowls to energizing smoothies and cold-pressed juices, every item on their menu is thoughtfully prepared to support your well-being without compromising on taste. Be sure to stop in and welcome Ruth and the rest of the Fresh team in their new location at 215 Lakeshore Road East.
About Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar
Since 1991, Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar has been a Toronto staple for modern, plant-based food and drinks. What started as a juice bar on Queen West has turned into a restaurant company that has branched across the Greater Toronto Area, capturing the hearts of people who want to eat with freshness in mind.
How and why did you decide to pursue your business?
In 1991, a 24-year-old Ruth Tal returned to Toronto after years of travelling, intending to start university, and wandered into a tiny health food store where she tasted her first fresh carrot juice. She was blown away by the transformation of a simple carrot into the most alive, vibrant and delicious thing she had ever tasted, and it sparked a bold idea. Within a few months she had taken her student loan money, bought an industrial juicer and started building what was then known as Juice for Life. She began experimenting with the juicer, making wildly delicious and exotic combinations of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, she had adopted a vegan diet, and realized there was nowhere in Toronto for her to go out to eat. She took her juicing show on the road to festivals, concerts and clubs, while dreaming of opening a vegan food and juice bar where people would feel accepted and satisfied no matter what their lifestyle or eating preferences. Her mission was to challenge the stereotype that plant-based food and juice was bland or boring and instead establish the notion that it’s cool to be healthy.
Eventually she opened a permanent location on Queen West, where she developed the signature juices and dishes that formed the core of the Juice for Life concept, and that would later evolve into the style of eating popularized at, what had by that point been renamed as, Fresh – colourful layered salads, grain burgers, brown rice bowls, soba noodles, wraps, fruit smoothies, power shakes and energy elixirs, all tied together with the common denominator of bold, exciting flavours.
As the business grew, Ruth realized she couldn’t do this alone and brought Jennifer Houston in as her founding partner and executive chef. Now, over 30 years later, Ruth and Jennifer have led the evolution of Fresh into Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar.
What are you most passionate about in your business?
Since our launch almost 30 years ago, we’ve made it our mission to prove that a plant-powered diet can be satisfying, energizing and undeniably delicious. We’re passionate about crafting fresh food and juices you can feel good about – the kind that brings positive energy to carry you through the rest of your day.
What do you LOVE about Downtown Oakville?
What drew us to Downtown Oakville was the quaint, community-first feeling you get when you’re there. Since our inception, we’ve always loved creating communities in the neighbourhoods where our restaurants are based, so it felt like the perfect fit!
Contact
Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar is located at 215 Lakeshore Road East. For more information,
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