RICHMOND, Va. -- A health emergency prompted a Richmond man to expand his family’s cafe to also focus on cold-pressed juice.
A.J. Brewer started the juice line at Brewer's Cafe after he said the health emergency gave him a wake-up call to make changes in his business and personal life.
Brewer said that while the start of the pandemic in March was stressful, the cafe eventually saw record daily sales in June thanks to expanded take-out and delivery.
However, a crisis struck in late June when he was hospitalized and then diagnosed with kidney failure and “stroke-level” high blood pressure.
“But after a day of feeling sorry for myself, a lightbulb turned on in my head. I realized I had to reinvent myself and the business. I also realized changing my diet and lifestyle was necessary to improve my health,” Brewer wrote. “I thought about how many people in my community were battling serious health issues just like me.”
That is when Brewer came up with the idea of the juice business.
“I chose cold-pressed because it’s truly the best,” Brewer wrote. “The cold-pressed juicing method extracts the most juice from fruits and vegetables than any other method of juicing out there, and also protects and preserves the nutrients.”
In fact, Brewer said each bottle of juice contains more than 1 ½ pounds of local, raw fruit and vegetables.
Brewer's Cafe Cold Pressed Juice is available at the cafe on Bainbridge Street or available online for delivery.
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