In late 2019, David Padilla began applying nearly 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry toward purchasing, rebranding and relaunching Jugo Juicery as Jugo, which mean juice in Spanish.

He started with the Alon Town Centre location in north central San Antonio.

“My family really loves acai bowls; the kids love them, and that’s what drove me to pursue this,” Padilla said.

Featuring an array of fresh superfood bowls, smoothies and cold-pressed juices, Jugo set out to show how eating and drinking healthy can be tasty, Padilla said.

“We’re all about health and wellness in our products, and we’re consistent because we keep the menu simple,” he said.

Padilla said Jugo outlasted COVID-19’s financial effects, delivering products to a growing number of supporters who have helped the company expand to five total San Antonio-area locations, including Bitters Road and Loop 1604.

“That’s how we survived the pandemic—with support from local friends and family—and the community got behind us,” he said.

Padilla said customers appreciate the smoothie options; the menu features nine different bases to customize a smoothie.

Patrons wanting a superfood bowl can buy a prebuilt 16-ounce bowl or build their own bowl, choosing from base options, such as acai, coconut, pitaya, matcha, mango or blue magic, a spirulina extract derivative.

“A lot of companies blend their base, so it’s more liquid, like soft serve, and ours is more like an ice cream consistency,” he said.

Jugo’s juices come in eight 16-ounce varieties, but for $28 a customer can purchase a flight of four varieties.

While the company looks to expand, Padilla said his focus is on fine-tuning the Jugo brand through community events and fundraisers.

“We’re promoting a healthier alternative to what’s out there,” he said.