RAISING THE BAR
Quench Kitchen aims to stake out a niche in the city’s growing juice bar scene with its 21-day group cleanse,
“There’s a juice bar on every corner!” Kym Klopp, owner of natural shop Ecoexistence on St. Clair W., reported from Los Angeles earlier this year after a buying trip. “It’s the new yoga.”
Her friend and colleague Natalie Singer, a freelance holistic nutritionist who had helped her set up a food section in the store last December, was more than interested in this news. Also in on the conversation: Marlene Simone of Prop, an Italian restaurant a few doors down.
The three friends saw the opportunity for a business venture. No one was selling cold-pressed juice in the neighbourhood.
“If we don’t do it, someone will,” Singer recalls as their reasoning. They had a kitchen, a storefront and nutritional expertise covered — plus decades of business experience between them. Why not get in on the trend?
So, last spring, the trio hired a raw chef to help formulate some juices and a few simple, nut-free food products and fresh items they could sell direct or offer at catered events. They put things together in the basement kitchen at Prop and did a soft launch of Quench Kitchen in June.
Now they’ve moved their fridge to Ecoexistence, are selling food items there (mainly little nut-free granola bites; the three owners have kids and understand the need for school-safe grub) and have done a few events offering sandwiches, wraps and juice shooters.
Quench also offers the goods for one-, three- and five-day cleanses. That’s not so unique. But Singer and her partners are hoping to get noticed with their 21-day group cleanse. The first one runs in October and those who sign up get to meet up twice, go through an actual cleanse for three days and then 19 days of an elimination diet. All under the watchful eye of Singer and naturopathic doctor Rachel Schwartzman.
These already busy entrepreneurs have contacts across the neighbourhood and the food industry, and a whole lot more ideas to build this already unique concept into whatever suits the market. “There are so many different ways it can grow,” Singer says.
“There are so many different ways it (Quench Kitchen) can grow.” NATALIE SINGER