DERRY, NH – Londonderry locals Troy Ward and Emily Thompson are offering healthy alternatives to the local foodie scene with the upcoming opening of The Juice Bar NH in Derry. A ribbon-cutting is set for Aug. 3, from 3-4 p.m. with a grand opening to follow on August 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ward and Thompson sat down with me to discuss their story and how the Juice Bar came to life. The couple have been “clean-eaters” and living a vegan lifestyle for some time now and wanted to find a way to bring vegan and gluten-free options to the greater Derry community. While Thompson was attending college in California, she worked two part-time jobs at local coffee shops. One of the coffee shops happened to also be a juice bar which offered items such as vegan salads and smoothies. After returning home from college, Thompson helped manage a coffee shop and juice bar in Rye.
Ward graduated from Springfield College, earning his degree in business management. Entrepreneurship was always something that interested him in school. Ward reflected on the fact that he and Thompson were willing to drive as far as needed to the nearest smoothie and juice bar that they could find. However, this led them to recognize an opportunity to try and provide some less common yet tasty items in the Derry/Londonderry area.
“Opening something like this – healthy, fast, casual – has been on my mind for a while, since I took entrepreneurship classes in college. When Emily and I met she started taking me to local juice and smoothie bars. I loved them right away and she was thinking of opening a coffee bar when I met her. We were all gung-ho for that but one time we were sitting in a juice bar and we thought ‘isn’t this something more like we would want to run together?’ Everything happened super quickly,” Ward said.
After planning out the initial details, the search for the soon-to-be home of The Juice Bar began. The couple spent months searching for a potential site to begin renovations. Finally, they found an open space that fit their needs at 11 Manchester Road, in the Clearbrook Plaza.
“We did everything ourselves except for plumbing and electric. We ripped the floors out, did all the painting, built the counter and the trash area. We’re a really handy family! Everyone is a hands-on learner here,” Thompson said.
After college, Thompson wanted to bring a bit of West Coast flair to her business. Her goal is to keep the Juice Bar very green with plenty of plants and a clean and natural appearance. Outdoor seating and a children’s corner will be available as well.
Customers will find that healthy food and clean eating is the primary focus at the Juice Bar. Menu items will include acai and smoothie bowls, avocado toast, grain bowls, smoothies, and seasonal options such as a soup selection for autumn and winter. Most items will be vegan and gluten free, with dairy-free options as well. Thompson and Ward also wanted to stress that their smoothies will be all natural, containing no fruit concentrates. The couple hope to primarily use all natural sweeteners such as local maple to enhance flavor in their menu items. Coffee and tea options will be available with Portsmouth’s own White Heron as the provider. Other grab-and-go items such as granola bars and muffins will also be for sale. Sunnycrest Farm will be one of many local sites where ingredients are being sourced from.
“We want to be a source where people don’t need to sacrifice quality for convenience,” said Ward.
The Juice Bar is also proud to announce that they will be a dog-friendly establishment. Patrons are welcome to bring their furry friends into the shop where homemade dog treats will be available that are corn/grain free.
Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
For more information on the Juice Bar, check out their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/thejuicebarnh/ and be sure to send them a direct message for a limited time promotional coupon in celebration of the opening.
