Is a juice war brewing in Greenwich? - Westfair Communications

BY AMANDA CUDA
Hearst Connecticut Media

Man cannot live on juice alone ”“ unless he lives in Greenwich. Then it’s totally possible.

The town is becoming something of a mini mecca for juice bars that sell a variety of health-focused foods and drinks. There’s Elixir on East Putnam Avenue and two branches of Green & Tonic ”“ one on Railroad Avenue and one in Cos Cob. The big chain Robeks is also a player in Cos Cob. And the town is set to get even juicier in a few months, as New York-based Juice Press is slated to open on Greenwich Avenue in November.

With so many of these spots popping up, is a juice war in the offing? Only time will tell, said Marcia O’Kane, executive director of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce.

Jeffrey and Cai Pandolfino inside the Greenwich restaurant they own, Green & Tonic, with a basket full of the cold-pressed juices. Photo by Bob Luckey

In the meantime, she said she’s excited that a growing number of these businesses are choosing to call the town home. “It definitely speaks to the health-conscious focus of Greenwich residents,” O’Kane said. “Clearly, there’s a pent-up demand for these kinds of drinks. I think this bodes well for everyone. People looking for healthy choices have many options in Greenwich.”

Among the owners of these businesses, there’s some concern about competition, but not from everyone. Jeffrey and Cai Pandolfino, owners of Green & Tonic, said even with so many juice bars in relative proximity, they aren’t worried about getting squeezed out by the competition. “Greenwich is a big market,” Jeffrey Pandolfino said. “There’s room for everybody.”

The Pandolfinos, who live in Cos Cob, have five outposts of Green & Tonic, three of them in Connecticut and two in Westchester County, N.Y. Their third Connecticut shop is in Darien, and they’re planning to open one in New Canaan in the near future. The stores offer cold-pressed juices, smoothies and teas, as well as a full menu of food items, including salads, wraps and more exotic items like kelp noodle pad thai.

The Pandolfinos agreed with O’Kane that Greenwich is definitely a juice-friendly town. “Fairfield County in general has a lot of people who are committed to good health,” Cai Pandolfino said. “The days of the martini and steak lunches might be over.”

Cai said the bar, which has its own nutritional consultant, draws a wide range of customers, from mothers to athletes to those with chronic illnesses in search of healthy foods and drinks. She said she and her husband have been in the food business “forever,” and that the company’s commitment to its food is part of what will help it stand apart from its competitors.

“We want to be providing foods that offer long-term solutions,” she said.

But the town’s other juice players said there could be a bit of a battle between the shops, particularly with the arrival of Juice Press on the horizon.

"ABC" juice, consisting of apples, beats and carrots with lemon, is one of the cold-pressed juices available at Green & Tonic. Photo by Bob Luckey — “ABC” juice, consisting of apples, beats and carrots with lemon, is one of the cold-pressed juices available at Green & Tonic. Photo by Bob Luckey

The store has 20 locations throughout New York and expects to have 25 by the end of the year. Michael Karsch, chairman of the board for Juice Press, is cautiously optimistic the store’s Greenwich location will be a hit. “The day you’re not worried about your competition is the day you’re in trouble,” Karsch said. “But we do feel like we provide a clearly superior product.”

He said Juice Press has done well in New York, which is a far more competitive market than Greenwich, so he’s confident the Greenwich Avenue spot will do more than hold its own. “The people who live, work and shop in Greenwich either know about Juice Press already or are about to know about us,” Karsch said. “We are not a mom-and-pop shop. We are a company that’s very well-established.”

The business also has star power behind it. The company lists Greenwich resident and New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira as a lead investor. Teixeira was the one who suggested Juice Press open a store in Greenwich, though it took a few years to nail down a location.

The owner of another area juice business, Elixir, said the arrival of Juice Press should make other spots in town a little nervous.

“They run a really good business,” said Elixir owner Jon Shepard. Elixir has juice bars throughout New York, as well as two in Connecticut (in Greenwich and Stamford) and one in Texas. Shepard said, having competed with Juice Press before, its impending arrival carries with it the seeds of trouble for small competitors throughout the region. “They could be in for a rude awakening,” Shepard said.

But the Pandolfinos remain hopeful that their core of customers will stick with them despite the appeal of other businesses.

“I think this is a great opportunity for everybody,” Jeff Pandolfino said.

Hearst Connecticut Media includes four daily newspapers: Connecticut Post, Greenwich Time, The Advocate (Stamford) and The News Times (Danbury.) See ctpost.com for more from this reporter.