A new juice and smoothie bar in Moose Jaw is now open with a rainbow menu full of fresh options that co-owner Courtney Sagal says are something new for the city to try.
Soltopia Juice Bar, located at 48 Stadacona Street West right next door to Sagal’s initial business Dream Drop Shoppe, is the newest venture for the Moose Jaw-born entrepreneur and one that she has been thinking about for a while.
“It’s been a dream of mine for the last 10 years, to provide a healthy food option in the community,” said Sagal, who owns both businesses in partnership with her mother, Denise Sagal.
Dream Drop became a reality first, and when the tropical plant store’s neighbour moved out of the building space, Sagal took it as a sign that things were about to fall into place for Soltopia.
And that they did, with the new juice bar opening its doors on Sept. 21 with a soft launch. Soltopia is currently serving an array of colourful smoothies and cold-pressed juices, each formulated with unique ingredients that are as fresh as possible and completely without fillers or added sugars.
Soltopia also offers smoothie bowls, which Sagal said have been popular, and raw, whole-food snacks such as salted caramel almond energy balls and raw muesli bars. It also stocks some specialty boutique items, like kitchenware and pottery from local artisans.
“We use only whole food ingredients, no added sugars, no dairy, and no gluten. Everything is as fresh and organic as possible,” said Sagal. “The idea is that healthy can be fun and delicious.”
Sagal said she is getting as many of her ingredients from local organic sources as she can, including a partnership with the Wandering Market in Moose Jaw and local producers Green Sister Gardens, providing things like the wheatgrass used in menu items. What she can’t find from here is sourced in from British Columbia.
The focus is keeping everything on the menu fresh, healthy and unlike any other smoothies out there, said Sagal, and the response from the community so far has been positive.
There’s plenty to try, with each smoothie and juice formulated to be unique in its flavour combinations and as brightly coloured as possible, and Sagal had a few recommendations for those interested in stopping by for a taste.
“The most popular (smoothies) have been the Orange Orbit or Blue Moon Magic, and the smoothie bowls are great because we add fresh fruit and superfood toppings, which make for a nice filling snack,” said Sagal. “As far as juices, Green Galaxy and Zingy Zodiac have been the top sellers.”
Dream Drop Shoppe and its new neighbour Soltopia Juice Bar, located at 50 and 48 Stadacona Street West, are both owned by mother-daughter duo Courtney and Denise Sagal.With the juice bar finally open, the crew at Soltopia are already hard at work with plans for the future — lots of plans, said Sagal.
A line of hot and cold herbal elixirs are in the works as the cooler weather approaches, made from a reishi or chaga mushroom tea base, as well as the inclusion of immune-boosting shots and the addition of Buddha bowls as snack items.
The juice bar is also currently only on social media, but Sagal said there are plans for that as well.
“We’re working on a website, featuring an app which allows you to order ahead of time as well,” said Sagal.
Soltopia is currently open on Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will be planning an official grand opening for the new storefront sometime later this fall.
To keep up with Soltopia or learn more about the juice bar’s products, follow its Facebook page or Instagram page.
