Capitol Hill's Juicebox is Growing Up, One Year In

Popular juice bar/cafe Juicebox celebrated one year at their Capitol Hill shop yesterday. The business was born out of a desire by chefs Brandin Myett and Kari Brunson to eat healthier, as their busy schedules had them turning to junk food after long shifts. The duo launched their business through farmers markets and a pop-up at La Bete (now Spaghetti Western) where they both worked.

The response to Juicebox's temporary arrangements was so strong that Myett and Brunson launched a search for a permanent home and opened on Capitol Hill's 12th Avenue last November. Their cafe serves a revolving line of seasonal juices using heaps of local produce, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus that reflect a commitment to local, seasonal, and homemade. And they also offer wildly popular bottled juice cleansing packages, available for delivery or pick up at the cafe. Here's what Brunson and Myett had to say about their venture, one year in:

Kari: The past year has taught me that growing your business organically is never a bad idea. We opened our doors last year with a huge following from the customers from the farmers market and our pop-up at La Bete. Seeing those familiar faces the first couple of days, weeks, and months as our current customer base grew was the grounding support we needed in the early months of chaos.

Brandin: I have learned that running a small business is about nonstop problem solving. Through this if you are still standing and still care about what you are doing I would call that success. It's my definition of the quality and standard we aspire to: caring over time.

Kari: I only drink our green juice (kale, romaine, spinach, cucumber, celery) with no apple and add extra ginger and I somehow have never gotten sick of it.

Brandin: I never get sick of feeling good, therefore I never get sick of juice.

Kari: Pretty much anything salty and crunchy after 10 p.m.

Brandin: Gummy candy and licorice.

What don't most people know about Juicebox?

Kari: We just started dinner! We are open Wednesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can stay there and drink wine, or take food to go.

Brandin: Most people don't know that we have a great brunch menu with fresh juice mimosas.

Kari: Juicebox is definitely starting to grow up, so expect to see a brand new website, a new look for our bottles, extended hours at the cafe with more offerings, and different locations to get our cold-pressed juice.

Brandin: This year is all about making the most of where we are at and evolving while maintaining our standards.