By Lucia Viti

Once considered a fad, juice bars are now fully entrenched in American society. But one Southern California chain with three locations in San Diego boldly claims to be different.

Juice Crafters is a health and wellness juice bar that serves organic fruit and vegetable smoothies, wellness booster shots and freshly pressed juices.

Their Hillcrest hot spot, located at 401 University Ave., is one of three San Diego locations for the family-owned enterprise that offers a comprehensive menu of vitamin and mineral enriched vegetable and fruit smoothies, pressed juices, concoctions made to order, detox cleansing programs, grab-and-go salads and snacks.

Jonathan and Carol Goldwasser, the San Diego husband-and-wife managers, tout a simple approach to Juice Crafters’ success.

“We’re not just another ordinary juice bar filled with sugared drinks and empty calories,” they said. “We’re the juice bar that uses 100% raw and organic ingredients to prepare powerhouse – and delicious – smoothies, cold-press juices and acai bowls that will detox and cleanse while boosting your energy.”

The Juice Crafters concept began in Los Angeles in 2012. They use seasonal selections of ingredients rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals noted for health benefits. This includes aloe vera (cleanses the digestive system, works as a natural laxative, promotes weight loss and strengthens teeth and gums); pineapple (maintains strong bones, strengthens teeth and gums, aids in digestion and treats the common cold); flax seeds (balances hormones, stabilizes blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and promotes fertility); and turmeric (reduces risk of cancer, stabilizes blood sugar levels, aids in liver detoxification, and reduces pain and inflammation).

Although the menu items are saturated in vital nutrients, Juice Crafters ensure that flavor remains the essential component, according to the Goldwassers.

“Because we believe in the importance of providing natural holistic wellness, we extract nature’s medicine into juices that suit everyone’s taste buds,” Jonathan said. “We believe that we provide the keys to a healthier lifestyle without compromising on quality, taste and freshness.”

Said Carol: “And fruits and vegetables are purchased locally and delivered daily to guarantee quality and freshness that you can taste with every sip.”

Juice Crafters feature a multitude of cold-pressed juices the Goldwassers describe as the healthiest way to drink juice. Cold-pressed juice is extracted through a hydraulic press that liquefies its contents using 10 tons of pressure. This not only maintains freshness by protecting the nectars from harmful exposure to heat and air, it sustains essential vitamins, trace minerals and enzymes. Juice is pressed daily by craftsmen in Los Angeles and delivered every morning to each Juice Crafters location. Juices are so fresh, suggested refrigerated shelf life is no more than 48 hours, the Goldwassers said.

“We rely on an 80-year-old juicing technique that allows us to create a juice that contains six times more raw nutrients than any other juicing process,” Carol said. “Our juice is as fresh as if you were drinking it straight from the source. And we pride ourselves on liquid deliciousness in every bottle.”

Juice Crafters’ founders also believe that routine cleanses are as necessary as a car’s three-month oil change. According to the Goldwassers, the human body is a machine constructed with built-in filters – kidneys, lungs, liver, skin and colon – that purify. Unprocessed impurities – processed foods, environmental toxins and chemicals – are stored in a warehouse of fat cells that act as safety buffers and shields to protect us from these harmful substances. As we assault the human machine with chemicals, pollutants, poisons and toxins, we clog it, which ultimately causes it to break down. Cleansing serves to rid the body of this toxic accumulation, they said.

“What shows up on the outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside your body,” Jonathan said. “Juice Crafters’ cleanses stem from a raw cold-pressed juicing program designed to cleanse at a cellular level. Cleanses are a gentle and effective way to eliminate toxic buildup, shed excess weight and rebalance your system.”

“If you’re taking better care of your car than your health, it’s time to get serious about making changes,” Carol added. “We believe that if you change your body, you change your life. And we only get one body so we must cleanse it, pamper it and treasure it!”

The Goldwassers say they remain steadfast in maintaining Juice Crafters standards of quality and integrity. The chain has nine locations in Los Angeles and three in San Diego, including in La Jolla and Little Italy. They said there will be one in North County very soon.

“Although Juice Crafters continues to grow, we will never evolve into a franchise that loses its quality control standards,” Carol said. “This is my baby. I could never give it away to have someone else shortchange our standards of integrity.”

The Goldwassers explained that home juicing can be arduous, pricey and time-consuming, not to mention the effort required to properly cleaning a juicer after every use.

“Juice Crafters works to craft fresh and healthy, vitamin-rich, 100% pure juice that you can enjoy any time of the day without the work,” they said.

So whether it’s a Wellness Shot of lemon, ginger and cayenne topped with a strawberry (great for the sinuses); or an Alkaline Tonic of chilies, apples, ginger and lemon (great for the skin); or a Rootier #6 of beets, ginger, lemon and apples (perfect for a midafternoon snack); or an Acai Power Boost Smoothie of Amazonian acai, guarana, coconut water, pineapple and banana (a complete meal); Juice Crafters’ all-natural and unpasteurized ingredients are designed to repair one’s digestive system to jump-start a healthier lifestyle.

“We believe that Juice Crafters is unadulterated perfection that only nature can provide as a sweet symphony of flavors from fruits and vegetables at their peak of ripeness,” Jonathan said.

“Our approach is simple,” Carol said. “Live well and be well.”

For more information, visit juicecrafters.com.

—Contact Lucia Viti at [email protected].