A year ago in October, Robin Rosen and her family set out to bring fresh juice, a whole food menu and natural beauty products to downtown Richmond. They launched Trough Juice Bar at 107 S. Third St. in a historic building they had painstakingly renovated over the course of more than a year.

“We have four girls, and we even put the sons-in-law to work,” she said.

Her husband, lawyer Steven Rocket Rosen, said the cafe and juice bar is a family affair, with everyone pitching in to help.

“I was diagnosed [with stage 111c colorectal cancer in 2012], and I immediately started juicing,” Robin said. “The effects [of juicing], even after just two weeks, were extraordinary. I went though the whole process [of treatment], had surgery, and my intestines don’t work the same [as they did before], so in order for me to get enough nutrients I need to juice—this is something I can digest without problems.”

As part of her recovery, Robin said she would juice in her home, but she often had to ask friends to bring her juice from Houston or Austin.

“I thought there’s probably a lot of people here [in Richmond] that may need this—and at that time there was nothing in Fort Bend County,” she said.

The idea for Trough came from watching the family’s horses as they grazed and drank water. Robin said she worked with the Richmond Historical Commission to ensure the renovated building kept its historic charm.

“It’s a little different for this part of town, but I thought, ‘You know what, let’s do it,’” she said. “Even before we opened, people were coming by when they heard it was a juice bar, and they were excited. They asked us to please do more than juices, so we came up with a menu.”

Rosen’s daughter, Jorden, is a co-owner and developed the menu, which includes fresh juice blends, smoothies, salads, panini sandwiches and fresh baked goods made in-house.

“We do seasonal offerings,” Jorden said, “But sometimes things are so popular, people want us to keep them on the menu.”

Robin is now cancer-free, and she said Trough has become a place where people gather to talk about healthy living and natural lifestyles.

“People have been so kind and supportive,” Robin said. “They feel free to talk, and they know they’re going to feel support. There are so many people that just relate to it and they feel comfortable talking about personal things, and that adds an additional healing aspect.”