Over a meal at Big Fish Grill at the Wilmington Riverfront in February 2019, Lanice Wilson and Renee Sellers began planning their dream business.
Friends and business partners for the almost 18 years, the pair have run the Lush Oasis MedSpa & Retreat in Bear, now temporarily closed, and a former dance studio.
They were ready for a new chapter in their careers.
The women brainstormed and created vision boards and brought their proposals to the Big Fish Grill meeting.
When Wilson suggested one of her first ideas – turning their love of juicing into their dream jobs – Sellers was immediately onboard.
"It didn't take a second," Wilson remembers. "Renee said, 'Let's do it!'"
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The Juice Joint, a new shop at 323 Justison St., just a few blocks away from Big Fish Grill, is set to open for business the second week of July. It's in the same block as the Riverfront Bakery, a new French-style pastry shop that opened last month.
At The Juice Joint, the partners plan to offer cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls and a variety of toasts.
Wilson says the friends have long been interested in health, nutrition and wellness.
The love of juicing first began after Wilson visited her vegan daughter in California and was introduced to the idea of turning fruits and vegetables into energy-boosting drinks.
Soon, she got Sellers on the board and the pair became advocates of the juicing lifestyle. Their husbands, children, grandchildren and parents joined them.
"It helped make me feel better and made me want to do more and more," says Sellers, who has an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain.
The more she drank homemade juices, Sellers says, the more she felt better. "Overall. my health improved."
Wilson, who had worked for AAA at the Wilmington Riverfront, thought that a city location near the Christina River would be the perfect place for their new business.
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"I remember thinking, 'Oh, my goodness, I wish there was a Starbucks here.' And then there was a Starbucks. I thought, 'Let's try this with juicing.' "
The new shop is indeed just steps away from the Starbucks at 329 Justison St, but the vacant space in the 11-year-old building was an empty shell. The partners had their work cut out for them to turn it into a business.
Construction began and then in mid-March, the coronavirus shutdown many food establishments as well as their day spa in Bear.
"We had so many setbacks, especially due to the pandemic," Wilson says.
"It actually was really a struggle and we were overwhelmed by it. It impacted us and impacted our spa and we were afraid how we were going to launch a new business. We had to go back and rely on what we know, and that is that juicing is healthy."
Wilson says there have been delays on some things, such as furniture delivery. But it forced the women to rethink the indoor seating and the building's overall capacity, especially due to state-mandated seating limitations due to the coronavirus.
"We wanted a cafe and a lounge kind of vibe. We trashed that for now," Wilson says. Now, there will be more outdoor seating, more space between tables inside and two swinging chairs.
To create the menu, Wilson said they hired a consultant. "We wanted unique flavor profiles." She says some juices will be made with sweet potato and rosewater.
The menu will be limited at first and will include salads with fruit and fancy toasts such as one made with fig jam, goat cheese and green apples. They also plan to offer "old-school" snow cones topped with homemade simple syrups flavored with basil and lavender.
The rest of the menu will include smoothies and bowls made with acai and dragon fruit.
"We're thrilled to share the opportunity of juicing with everyone," Wilson said, adding that she hopes customers drink more fruit and vegetables. "It's a no-brainer."
The Juice Joint will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Visit thejuicejoint.de/.
Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico
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