There’s nothing boring about drinking healthy

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Rain fell like a gray sheet as I rushed into Simple Science Juices (8126 Floyd, Overland Park) in search of a little mood booster on a gloomy, late-fall afternoon. The smoothie and juice bar, which opened near downtown Overland Park in March, makes raw, cold-pressed juices that are as refreshing and colorful as they are healthy. 

The moment I entered the bright and colorful shop, co-owner Steve Spangler greeted me with a smile. “What can we help you find today?” he asked. His teeth were almost distractingly white.

“I need something to make this cloudy day less depressing,” I said.

Spangler presented me with a bottle of bright-orange juice called “Compound” that contained sweet potato, orange and pineapple. In that moment, I learned two things: Yes, you can juice sweet potatoes, and it tastes amazing. As I sipped, I was surprised that sunlight didn’t punch through the relentless clouds.

If Simple Science’s growth is any indicator, a lot of people feel the same way. According to Spangler, Simple Science sold 50 bottles a week in March, but that number had increased to 1,500 by November. To keep up with demand, Simple Science plans to open seven more stores in 2016, including shops in Lawrence and the Crossroads. Spangler also recently signed a lease for 143rd Street and Kenneth, in Leawood.

“It’s not just a fad,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle.”

Spangler said he used to take nine medications for, among other ailments, chronic sinusitis, acid reflux and chronic fatigue syndrome. After discovering that he had several food allergies and switching to a gluten- and dairy-free diet, he quit most of his medications. He said he now has an abundance of energy. (Simple Science also offers soups, salads, snacks and desserts catering to various dietary restrictions.)

“People are trying to heal their bodies, and the science is being overlooked because it [juicing] has gotten such a hippie spin in the mainstream,” Spangler said. “But I used to sleep 12 to 14 hours a day, and now I can work that much. It’s not some random diet. It’s just fruits and veggies — unprocessed, clean food.”
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At Ruby Jean’s Juicery (4001 Broadway), owner Chris Goode also believes in the virtues of clean eating. When I sat down with the tall and muscular Goode at a cozy table in his brightly colored café, he said his out-of-the-ordinary juices are “100 percent from the earth,” with no preservatives or additives. His goal is to make eating healthy, exciting and accessible for “people from all walks of life.”

“I don’t want people to feel like healthy eating has to be boring,” he said. “Everyone wants to eat healthier and learn about it. We want customers to feel welcome, no matter where you come from or how much money you have.”

In order to spread the word about healthy eating, Goode has started speaking at schools, and he plans to offer juice delivery soon. The day we met, he was excited about the arrival of juice-bottle labels, featuring a sketch of his grandmother, for whom his shop is named. He offered me a bright-green bottle called “Vine Street Greens,” which contained cucumber, green apple, kale, spinach and lime. It was smooth, nothing like the chunky green smoothies I’ve attempted to make at home.

Goode said he tries to share his grandmother’s spirit and passion through his business, which opened in July. Even the orange throw pillows in the café have a story, matching the décor that the original Ruby Jean had in her home at 39th Street and Wabash.

“She had that room all grandmas have — you know, you’re not supposed to go in there, and you’re not really supposed to even look at it,” Goode said, laughing. “But she’d be in the other room watching Wheel of Fortune, and somehow she’d know we were in there.”

Unlike Grandma’s parlor, Ruby Jean’s Juicery is the kind of place where I’d like to kick back and put my feet up. The café has an abundance of comfortable seating areas, and the plant-filled courtyard would make a peaceful retreat on a warm day. A lively mural by local artist Sike Style covers the wall behind the register, and the large windows facing Broadway make for excellent people watching. As I chatted with Goode about the Royals’ World Series championship, I realized that Ruby Jean’s was as much about the community as the juice.

Finally, I tried Sustained Juice, which has been pressing and delivering primarily locally sourced juice since 2014. Sustained’s flavors are adventurous, using exotic spices that sound like incantations when read quickly. Of the three varieties I tried, the mixture of cantaloupe, falernum, elderflower and chia was my favorite; it was pleasantly sweet, with the chia providing a nice bit of texture.
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When I spoke on the phone with co-owner Steven Jennings, a former chef, he said his favorites are the brown-rice horchata — “it tastes like a pumpkin-spice latte, sans pumpkin” — and the butternut squash with sage, coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg, which he compared with a pumpkin pie.

Instead of a brick-and-mortar shop, Jennings has focused mostly on offering juice subscriptions by delivery, which he said helps people take the guesswork out of being healthy. Traveling to people’s homes and offices has allowed him to connect with his customers in a different way.

“It builds relationships,” he said. “We get to know our farmers — sometimes I pick the produce myself. Then the cold press produces a flavorful, 100-percent raw product full of vitamins and natural enzymes. It’s a craft product. Through delivery, I like getting to know my clients and offering that convenience.”

Cold-pressed juice provides an easy way to consume more fruits and vegetables daily, but for many people, cost remains a significant barrier. At $9 for a 16-ounce bottle, I couldn’t sustain a Sustained Juice habit. Individual servings at Ruby Jean’s and Simple Science cost a little more than a latte, making them fine as an occasional treat.

Then again, I suppose my health is an investment — though it may have to wait until after the holidays. In the meantime, I’ll plan to sip on some sweet-potato juice instead of a cocktail the next time I need to cure the winter blues.