Over The Moon for Juice Girl: Gretchen Todd’s Growing World of Organic Treats
When Gretchen Todd showed up with her Juice Girl food truck in Houston 8 years ago, people didn’t quite know what to make of it. While there were a handful of chain smoothie and juice places in 2010, Juice Girl's raw and organic juices were different. “People were suspicious at first, they didn’t understand why I was juicing kale, they thought it was a garnish.” After the first year, things started to shift and Juice Girl began to develop a following. Now Todd is taking what she learned in her brick and mortar on 19th street over the last 5 years and is branching out into new locations and an ice cream shop.
Juice Girl was Houston’s first 100% organic juice & smoothie bar. Why organic? When asked why she chooses organic ingredients, Todd brings up pesticides and GMOs. "'Fresh' and 'natural' don’t mean organic! If you aren't going organic you’re getting pesticides and GMO products.'”
Todd built her business on a passion for organic juice and the difference she’s seen it make in people’s lives. She worked in a juice bar during her twenties and saw the impact it made on people’s health and wellness. Several people, including a woman living with Lupus, found that the juice helped keep her body feeling well. Seeing this made an impression on Todd, and it led to a lot of study about the effects of juicing and eventually, to Juice Girl.
Right before Juice Girl's 5-year anniversary on 19th Street, Todd got the itch to start growing. Taking what she's learned through the first shop, Todd opened two new shops last fall. Now Houston has a second Juice Girl location in the Houston Center on McKinney Street, and a dairy-free ice cream shop called Over The Moon on 19th Street. While she was initially unsure if the Houston Center would be a good idea, Todd says that the new Juice Girl is quickly becoming a hot spot for the downtown crowd to grab lunch so they've added tasty vegan dishes to the menu to satisfy that need.
In addition to fresh juices, Todd has made-to-order juice cleanses (with optional delivery), Açaí bowls and cold-brew smoothies available at both Juice Girl locations. And for folks wanting a full meal, Juice Girl at Houston Center has raw snack bites, avocado toast, empanadas, and sandwiches. She says they'll be expanding their vegan food to the line up later this summer.
If you’re on the fence about juices, Gretchen says, "Just try incorporating one green juice or smoothie into your life each day, it will change your life!" She has seen changes in employee’s health and energy once they start to work at Juice Girl and drinking green juices regularly. If you're looking for pro tips on what to order, Gretchen’s favorites juices are “Go Green” and “Pink Robot,” which she says are less sweet and have more greens. “Green Glow” and “Drink your Greens” are sweeter, and the two most popular juices they sell.
What about Todd's new ice cream spot? Over the Moon (OTM) opened last fall to positive reviews and is ready to refresh Houstonians during our warmest season. The ingredients are almost all organic (there are a few vegan toppings that aren't organic), and 100% vegan and dairy-free. With no artificial colors or flavors, these ice creams provide safe options for individuals with some nut allergies.
The ice creams are made from a variety of home-made dairy-free milks. Cashew, almond, coconut and hemp milk are all available in ice cream form and it's fun to taste-test the different types (Hint: they're all delicious). Our discovery was that the coconut and cashew milk ice creams make super-rich, show-stopping soft ice creams. You might not be able to tell they are dairy-free—we couldn’t! Some of our favorite flavors were blueberry lemonade, strawberry, and vanilla.
OTM is also home to what may be Houston's first kombucha float. If you love kombucha, you’ll love with this delicious treat. It’s made with Pat Greer Kitchen’s Strawberry Fields Forever kombucha, and your choice of vegan ice cream (try cashew strawberry!) The kombucha gives the float a tart boost that soda floats never provide—something you just have to taste to discover.
It seems that Gretchen Todd has a knack for creating spaces where people can fall in love with delicious, healthy foods and she's not done yet. She's currently looking to get moving on 2 more properties in Houston and one in Austin by the end of the year.
Whether or not you’re ready for summer to begin, one of Todd's bright and refreshing treats might be just the thing to help you ease on into the long hot days.
