By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A downtown smoothie and juice bar that’s focused on helping you live a healthy lifestyle is preparing its new location for an opening in early 2024.
Construction is underway at the future Ripe Life Juice Co., 333 E. State St. in downtown. Owner and founder Jamar Luster hopes to open the shop’s new location by mid-January. It replaces the original Ripe Life, which opened inside Stewart Square in summer 2021.
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Ripe Life will fill a storefront that was previously home to Indigo Beauty Boutique & Gift Shop, which is now at 111 N. Alpine Road.
Luster closed the Stewart Square location in August 2023 with plans to relocate to the former Rockford Roasting Co. on North Main Street, but after that plan fell through he found space inside a building owned by a limited liability company tied to NBA star Fred VanVleet and his family.
“I think signing with Fred VanVleet is a better deal for the future of Ripe Life,” Luster said. “We’re going to work on some things down the line, as far as some promotions with Fred.”
Ripe Life is located next to Weekdays Social Club and The 662 Collective art gallery.
“I’ve got a natural traffic flow, across from City Market, I’m in the parade route, I get to be in the Fred VanVleet block parties,” Luster said.
The business focuses on freshly squeezed juices and smoothies that never include added sugar. The menu includes Luster’s smoothie concepts such as Green Guard, which is made with kale, spinach, pineapple, banana, coconut water, moringa and chlorella and sweetened with agave or honey.
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You can add in other supplements such as magnesium, ginseng, sea moss and black seed oil, to name a few. Luster encourages customers to research and learn about the potential benefits of each supplement and see if it suits their needs and goals.
“Any type of supplements that you might want to add to a smoothie to boost the nutrient quality, we’re going to have here,” Luster said. “I want you to be able to customize your nutrient intake based on what you feel you need.
There are also natural juices designed to boost your hydration or help your skin. There are also anti-inflammatory drinks like golden milk, which is made with turmeric, maca, cinnamon, goji berry, ginger, black pepper, boswellia, cardamon, coconut water and optional honey.
Ripe Life also sells other locally produced wellness products and snacks such as Joe G’s CBD, Nuts to Go and BeauVeah Beauty skin care products, among others.
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Luster said three new juice flavors and two new menu items will come when the store reopens. The store hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday when the store reopens for the first time since late August.
“I’ve had a lot of time to reset and tighten as a business owner,” Luster said. “Now I’m a lot more confident about the future of Ripe Life. It’s going to be a good in ’24.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas