LOCAL: Juiceland
I’ve had juicing on the brain lately. (And no, I don’t mean the Lance Armstrong variety.) Maybe it’s because I finally got around to watching “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead,” the riveting documentary about one man’s quest to regain his health through an all-juice diet. Or maybe it’s because I just spent a week on the road reviewing more than twenty barbecue joints for Texas Monthly (can you say, “meat overload”?!). Whatever the reason, I’ve found myself stopping into the JuiceLand on Burnet Road more frequently lately for a fresh post-workout treat. Owner/smoothie king Matt Shook was kind enough to give me the skinny on his juicing enterprise and (spoiler alert!) to announce the creation of a new CrossFit-inspired concoction.
How did you get started in the juicing business?
Right after I graduated from high school in Dallas, in 1996, I headed straight to Austin. I started working at the Juice Joint, on Barton Springs Road, and even though I didn’t take the job thinking that it was going to be a long-term thing,
I realized early on that there were endless possibilities to come up with new flavor profiles and to focus on different health aspects. Then, in 2003, I had the opportunity to co-found the Daily Juice. It was very serendipitous. In 2011, we went our separate ways, and I started JuiceLand because I wanted to keep things local and be my own boss. We just opened up our fourth location, inside Spider House, in December.
You’ve been in the juicing business for a while now. What changes have you seen?
It’s been a long journey these past twelve years, and I’ve really seen the juice culture grow up in Austin. We’ve been lucky to ride the healthy living trend that Whole Foods started here. There’s been an obvious influx of people who are willing to spend more money on their health.
Your menu is quite extensive. How often do you make tweaks or introduce new items?
My favorite part of my job is interacting with our customers. We have a sophisticated clientele, and I love it when people come to me and say they just came back from California or New York or somewhere and they tasted something cool and thought maybe we could make a new drink. We’re all over that. We make monthly tweaks to the menu and overhaul the whole thing every year. Our menu development really relies on what our customers are telling us they want and need.
Any new items that you’ll be introducing soon?
Yes! In fact, we’re reintroducing a drink that we tried out at our Lake Austin location last year that CrossFitters will love. It’s called the Hulk, and it’s a mix of whey protein, coconut water, banana, and spinach. It will debut this week.
What’s the one item you wouldn’t dare tweak or take off the menu?
Generally speaking, we would never start using packaged juices in our smoothies. Every element is fresh. We use fresh coconuts and only organic vegetables. We have to do a lot of sourcing to do this, but it’s worth it.
Our number one seller is the Originator [fresh apple juice, banana, blueberry, cherry, peanut butter, rice protein, spirulina, and flax oil]. It was the first drink I ever came up with, so I guess it has staying power.
Although I’ve tried several of your juices and smoothies, I have yet to dive into any of the superfood cocktails or herbal tonics because I don’t know where to start! Help!
Seventy percent of the drinks we sell are smoothies, so you’re not alone! Instead of spending money on liquor—which isn’t really going to help anyone out—a group of friends will come in and take three of our top-shelf shots together. Or they’ll order one of our superfood cocktails. You could go with something really far out, like the Latina, which has jalapeño and avocado, or something soothing like the Hot Date, which is like a horchata with dates and pecans. Believe me, these are much better rewards than what you’ll find in a cheap bar.
Okay, what do you suggest…
…before a workout?
The Triple Double smoothie, because it has three types of protein—rice protein, hemp protein, and whey protein—as well as banana and rice milk.
…after a workout?
We’ve got a juice called the Marathon Man, which has pineapple, flax oil, and beets. Studies have shown that beets are incredibly effective in putting oxygen back into your bloodstream after a workout.
Another good post-workout drink—which I don’t think is on our menu, but you can ask for it—is the Coco Lily. It’s half greens, half coconut juice, and it’s a really cooling, soothing drink that will help get your electrolytes back and is very alkalinizing.
…if you feel like you’re coming down with something?
You can knock out a cold with a Medicine Man shot, which combines several types of peppers with lemon and garlic and turmeric.
You’ve got an extensive FAQ on your website about juice cleanses, but give me your 30-second elevator pitch on why I should do a cleanse.
There are two metaphors that come to mind. The first is that cleansing your body is just like cleaning out your house. After awhile, your body gets to looking like a college apartment: it’s littered with things. So imagine you’re trying to get your place ready to sell so you can move into a better house. Every room needs to be vacuumed and wiped down.
I also compare doing a cleanse to going for a nice, long bike ride. Yes, you will need stamina to go uphill, but once you’re at the summit, you’ll get to enjoy the view. A lot of people quit on a cleanse before they get to the part where they can say, “It’s all downhill from here.”
I recommend doing a cleanse three times a year. I’ve found that the best time for me to take on a cleanse is when I’m overwhelmed with work and I really need to focus on a project. That way, I’m not having to worry about what I’m eating, and I have more energy to do whatever it is I’m trying to accomplish.
How do you respond to critics who say doing a cleanse is too expensive and/or it’s not really good for your body?
It’s about $50 a day to do a cleanse. That’s three meals a day, and you’re probably spending at least $25 a day on food already. If you can’t afford it or want to ease your way in, you should consider replacing breakfast and lunch with juices and then eating a meal at dinner.
To those people who say a cleanse isn’t really good for your body, I say the proof is in the pudding. When I see someone come in who is on day five or day six of a cleanse, and their skin is shining, and their energy is up, and they aren’t having trouble focusing, that’s the proof. I will go up against any doctor or nutritionist who says a cleanse isn’t beneficial. You will see and feel the difference.
So, what’s on the horizon for JuiceLand?
We are looking to grow, so please reach out and let us know what neighborhoods you’d like to see us in. Our Burnet Road location has been a great fit from day one. I love how inspiring the CrossFit Central folks are to our other customers who want to start leading healthier lives.
In fact…you know what? I’m going to announce a new smoothie right now that will be low-calorie and have lots of good greens. It’s going to be peaches, spinach, kale, and apple with a scoop of whey protein. And it’s going to be called the CrossFitter!
About The Author
A Fort Worth native, Jordan wanders around the state of Texas for a living as a staff writer for Texas Monthly. She has also written for Fast Company, National Geographic Traveler, and Whole Living, and she recently chronicled the beginning of her CrossFit experience in a personal essay for TRIBEZA.
Blog: The Wanderer
Twitter: @jordanbreal
