Los Feliz welcomes The Punchbowl

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As you enter The Punchbowl, you are hit with the intoxicating aroma of fresh fruits and vegetables. It's an enchanting fragrance fitting for this raw, vegan, and 100% organic juice bar.

Owners Jonathon Wright and Christiana Solano met while working at a juice bar in New York City. The decision to open a juice bar of their own here in Los Angeles was much more than a business move. Solano says it was a way for them to create their own community in the hustle and bustle of the city.

“I think LA has been consistently ranked as one of the most stressful cities in America and we just really wanted a place where people could come in and take a breather.”

Every part of The Punchbowl was designed by the couple. Solano created the menu – a mix of shakes, salads, juices and desserts. She and Wright also renovated the shop’s interior which was in need of a serious makeover when they bought it. The walls were white and the space bare. Now, Mason jars hang from the ceiling and soft velvet seats create a cozy, relaxing environment. Wright says the remodel helps change customer’s preconceptions of what healthy food can be.

“We wanted to do something that felt like home, that felt comforting, that was beautiful, that was unique, that was different because the last thing I want people to think about when they think of juice is medicinal and brightly lit rooms that are unapproachable," said Wright. 

For those of you hamburger and pizza addicts, Wright has some definitions.   First, raw food:  “The technical definition of raw is nothing can be heated up 118 degrees, its that cutoff point where the nutrients, the living nutrients in the food start to die and the food itself starts to die. This isn’t to say that you’re not getting any nutrients but it’s significantly less than when you eat it raw.”

And, vegan food:  “Vegan basically means no animal products, even honey can be considered an animal product.”
One of most popular drinks on the menu is the banana date shake – an addicting infusion of banana, cashew milk, cinnamon, dates, and vanilla bean.

They’ve even found a fan base among their younger visitors.  When Wright whipped up a healthy shake filled with fruits, raw chocolate and almond milk for one of their youngest customers, "We were all on edge waiting for her to try it and she kind of took a sip from the straw and very hesitantly glanced up at me and gave me the nod of approval...it was the most unbelievable moment I’ve had so far in the juice bar,” said Wright nervously.

And for those residents who also have dreams of starting a local business ... Wright offers this advice: “Dream big, have a good time, and smile a lot and you’ll be fine.”

If you want to check out the Punchbowl, head over to Melbourne Avenue in Los Feliz.