The Juice Bar LLC

Southwest Austinite Chris Schoenfeld said when he was growing up he was a picky eater.

“The only greens I ate were spinach, and I only ate spinach because of Popeye,” he said.

When he started playing basketball at Crockett High School, he said he bought an inexpensive juicer and started making juices and shakes.

“I was [making] protein shakes and putting greens in my protein shakes because I wasn’t getting that in my normal diet,” he said.

He developed several recipes and founded The Juice Bar LLC, which opened its first location July 4, 2012, on Slaughter Lane. Patrons can order drinks and watch staffers juice fruits and vegetables to order.

“We’ll take the actual whole item and juice it as fresh as possible,” he said. “We use leafy greens like kale and spinach, [and] if they’re fresh enough they’re still going to have those live enzymes in there.”

Fruits and vegetables are never frozen, and there are no syrups or added sugar, he said. The menu includes juices, smoothies and juice cleanses, which can boost energy, he said.

Customers can also buy acai bowls ($9) as breakfast, lunch or post-workout meal replacements, he said.