Juice Ranch Serves Positivity and Passion
Scott Walker and Erin Gomez Grow Juicing Empire to Three South Coast Locations
Looking for a detox plan, a lifestyle change, or even just a snack with a natural pick-me-up? Juice Ranch is the place to be.
This haven for health-food seekers sells a plethora of cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, hot healing tonics, and probiotic-rich toasts. Founded in 2013, Juice Ranch developed a loyal following and now operates three locations: Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Montecito, which opened its doors on New Year’s Day, 2018, just days before the devastating mudslide.
According to owner Scott Walker, the business he started with his wife, Erin Gomez, was born out of passion and good intentions. Their ideology and lifestyles were so integrated into the juicing culture that celebrating it became “like a full-time job,” he explained, “so [they] made it one.” They believe there is power in high-vibrational foods, which are those that have a greater level of light than density, providing nourishment to the body and assisting with detoxification.
Their positive outlook has been helpful this past year. Just three days after the Juice Ranch’s Coast Village Road grand opening party, the 1/9 Debris Flow struck. The tragedy was a major setback for the business, but the customer flow is finally starting to normalize a year later. “This has affected our cash flow severely, and we have had to get family loans to survive this long rehabilitation process,” said Walker. “We are not alone in this — many other small businesses have been hit as well.”
It’s also forced the business to evolve. “We are growing up,” said Walker. “We have expanded our offerings so that people on the go can get healthy, high-vibration, nutritionally complete meals. We have found our authentic selves, and our intentions are focused on every aspect of our business: a new seasonal menu, the store dress, the store experience, video marketing showing our customers how to use our products, the eco-friendly packaging, and our business sustainability and longevity.”
Popular items on today’s juice menu include the Yoda, an energizing and alkalizing organic medley of kale, romaine, celery, cucumber, and spinach. The vegan-friendly Raw Cashew Cream Cheez Toast is a hit, and customers also enjoy the avocado toast with cilantro-almond pesto.
As the community rallied around following the mudslides, the Juice Ranch wanted even more to support their neighbors. “We want to heal ourselves and the community using the food we treasure and love,” said Walker. “We are looking to separate ourselves from the food establishments that are just looking to make a buck by cutting corners on quality.”
4185 Carpinteria Ave #4-5, Carpinteria; 33 Parker Wy. Santa Barbara; 1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito; juiceranch.com
