CRYSTAL LAKE – Featuring a menu with items labeled wheat-grass elixirs, "Liver Tonic" and "The Detoxifier," the newly opened Berries and Greens brings a concept seldom seen in Crystal Lake – an all-organic juicery.
Owner Jill Kaptur realizes she will have to both educate and entice consumers to try her lineup of 100 percent organic juices, smoothies and gluten-free snacks, as she works to make the trendy, health-focused juice business into a permanent fixture within the city.
"One hundred percent organic is what heals your body. You can't be doing organic and have pesticides with it. If you want to reverse disease, you have to do it 100 percent," Kaptur said. "You can't skimp on it."
Juice bars and other juice businesses try to capitalize on the growing segment of people who view juicing as an effective way to diet, cleanse and detox the body, along with others who may want to add more vegetables and fruits to their diets.
Having brainstormed for years the idea of starting her own juicery, Kaptur, a first-time business owner who lives in Barrington, said she knows firsthand the benefits through her own lifestyle changes.
Known for her love of sweets, Kaptur said she for years would consume three milkshakes a day until she started researching and visiting a naturopathic doctor from the Barrington area.
An often-debated practice within the medical field, naturopathy provides diet and lifestyle counseling built around the idea that natural processes effectively can treat ailments, according to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Kaptur eventually turned away sugary sweets and emphasized a more organic diet, experiencing a healthier lifestyle in the process.
Berries and Greens is an attempt to bring her health passion to people who live around Crystal Lake, she said.
Since the concept is relatively new for the area, she plans to host educational programs at her business to highlight the benefits of an all-organic diet and possibly invite her naturopathic doctor to provide consultations to interested customers, Kaptur said.
"I think everybody knows they feel better when they eat right and when they get bad foods out of their systems," she said. "It just makes sense."
Berries and Greens features numerous juices and smoothies at $8 a piece. Items include the "Spring Cleaner" featuring kale, spinach, cilantro, mint, pear, cucumber and lemon all mixed together into a juice.
The "Peanut Butter Bliss" smoothie – a popular one with customers – combines banana, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, peanut butter, vanilla and almond milk, Kaptur said.
She soon plans to start serving organic, gluten-free soups and sandwiches to complement her snack foods.
Berries and Greens is located within a retail strip along Pingree Road at the former Conscious Cup location, 625 Cog Circle, Suite D. Kaptur said she invested roughly $140,000 into building renovations before opening earlier this year.
"I hope people try it, come in and give it a chance, so that they can change their lives," she said.
The Berries and Greens lowdown:
• The all organic juicery operates from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
• Located at 625 Cog Circle, Crystal Lake
• For information, call 815-444-4637 or visit berriesandgreens.com.