I’ve been to a fair share of juice bars in L.A., but none do it quite like Renew Juicery. All of their juices are raw, 100% organic, come in glass bottles, and are packed with medicinal herbs & superfoods. Not only are they super good for you, but they also are guaranteed to leave you feeling refreshed! I got the chance to talk to the founder Brooke about why she started juicing, what makes her stand out, and what she likes to call “nutritarianism”.
What got you going on your own personal health journey?
I started being a vegetarian when I was 12 years old in a town of dairy farmers and hunters in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York. My grandparents were farmers, so I grew up around the animals and just connected with them. Then about 6 years ago, I moved out here to L.A. and went straight vegan.
Was the transition into veganism hard for you?
In the beginning, I had a lot of health problems because there’s vegan everything- vegan burgers, vegan hot dogs, vegan chicken nuggets. I got really sick from eating that kind of stuff, mainly because it’s processed. So I went to see this brilliant holistic nutritionist and found out that it was candida overgrowth. She put me on a one month cleanse which was basically just eating whole foods. No processed sugar, nothing processed at all. By day 3, I felt amazing and I haven’t looked back since.
What type of diet is this?
Actually, I think I came up with a term for it. My friends joke, “Oh are you vegan? Are you this, are you that?”. I just tell them, “I’m a nutritarian” meaning I only eat nutrient dense food. The food has to have a purpose.
What gave you the idea to start Renew Juicery?
I had a job where I had to visit a lot of smoothie and juice shops all over southern California. And I just felt like everywhere that I visited, I couldn’t find juice that was in glass, organic, and that really tasted that good. I thought, “Why isn’t this something that’s available?”. I saw a need for this product on the market. Plus I’d done some consulting for health food businesses, so I already had one foot in the door and knew that I could do it.
What helped you make the decision to go all-in?
It was just a matter of knowing how people would respond to a product like this. I didn’t know if people cared about glass bottles or medicinal herbs or organic, nutrient dense juices. Luckily I have a decent amount of friends in the food business, and they all gave me full encouragement.
What is your mission?
From the beginning, I wanted to put out a product that was done right with no compromises. One hundred percent what I thought would be the right way to do it. Even at the risk at having it cost a little more. We have medicinal herbs in some of our juices & superfoods in some. Everything is organic & bottled in glass. I source everything locally from local farmers. So every process I really stand behind, every little bit of the product.
What was your big break?
I started just selling at a couple different friends’ shops and I had a couple of friends that were buying it personally. But my big break was definitely getting into Mar Vista Farmers’ Market. I remember the first day, I literally just showed up with my coolers and juice. I set the bottles out on the table and I sold out in an hour and a half. On the first day. It gave me confidence. I passed out samples, and people would be taste it and be like, “Wow, that’s amazing!”.
How has this helped you grow?
Well, the customers there really rallied behind me. They get health and are happy to pay for real food. I think I owe a lot of my success to that community because I’ve gotten so many referrals and other business opportunities from there. Especially in the beginning, I didn’t have any financial backing. I was barely keeping up with the financials the first 8 months, so I needed to make money right away. Having that market and knowing I had money coming in every Sunday really kept me going.
What was your inspiration for your brand?
I wanted to create something that really was affecting people’s lives and really making a difference. If you’re going to work in the healthy food industry, it’s really hard. So you want to be putting out a product that at least you’re passionate about. For me, that was the inspiration behind adding medicinal herbs and superfoods. I wanted something that was so nutrient dense that if someone drank it they’d feel the effects of it.
Do you have any helpful food industry advice for consumers?
I really want to get a voice out about the non-transparency in food labeling. It’s so frustrating that there’s just so much misinformation out there. The customers don’t know what to do. For example, even the word “raw”. You can call anything “raw” and there’s no one to say otherwise. So I hope to help enlighten people and provide them with juice that has no chemicals or preservatives. It’s made with all real food.
Where do you see Renew Juicery in the future?
I’m happy creating the exact product I want and keeping it small and local. I like not having to make any compromise. I wanted to keep my juices really nutrient dense and made with the highest standards possible.
How did you make the decision to quit your full-time job to start your company?
Ever since I graduated college, I worked for start-ups. At all of these jobs, I put in 110% like it was my own company. Then I just got to the point where I wasn’t happy. I realized I just really loved juice and really believed in the difference it could make. I didn’t quit my job until I formulated all the recipes and got to the point where the product was ready to launch. And then I was like, “I’m going to do this”.
What gave you that confidence?
I think I just knew that I could do it. Why not, I had been doing it for these other businesses. I never think worst case scenario. I always think best case scenario. And like I said, so much of it was luck and just having a really great community.
Do you take feedback on your flavors?
That’s what really nice about the markets. You can take time to have those conversations and ask. If I’m going to test a juice, I’ll take 8-10 bottles to Mar Vista with me and give them to a few of my select customers and ask them to give me their feedback on it. And they will and that’s how I decide.
How did you decide to launch your almond milk line in addition to the juices?
I think they really go hand in hand. There was a need for the almond milk on the market. When I started the only options for people were toto make it at home or to buy what they have at the grocery store which is loaded with chemicals. All my almond milk is raw and organic made with pure ingredients. Plus some of the flavors we offer are really different, like Lavendar or Tumeric Spice.
What is your food philosophy?
Personally I think you have to do what’s best for yourself. I really try to eat nutrient dense food that has a purpose. Mostly whatever I can buy directly from the farmer’s market. At the end of the day, just eat as many fruits and veggies and whole foods as you can.
What are your go-to LA restaurants?
If I’m going to eat out, I love Cafe Gratitude. I spend a lot of time at Kippy’s in Venice eating ice cream. The base is coconut cream and it’s made with only 4 or 5 or 6 real ingredients. Super clean. One of my friends, Nelson, owns a raw, vegan food company called Living Gourmet so I eat a lot of his food. It’s the best raw food you’ll ever have hands down.
If you enjoyed this interview with the founder of Renew Juicery, check out my interview with Ridiculous Baking Company and Coco Bakes LA.
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