Juice company expands naturally in Boise with niche market

Boise Juice Co. opened its flagship location on State Street and Bloom in September 2016 and ever since then, life’s been getting sweeter ― and healthier ― for Idahoans of all ages.

Founded by Jes and Roland Heubach, Boise Juice Co. is a smoothie and acai bowl company that began when the duo saw a gap in the market space for a business like this.

“Boise is a very health-conscious and active community, and at the time there weren’t very many health-based restaurants where people could go and enjoy a healthy but fulfilling meal,” Jes Heubech said. “I fell in love with organic juices and juice cleanses when I started doing them as I traveled around the country. So, when I came back home to Boise and struggled to find ones that I enjoyed, I decided to make a business myself. People are always looking for healthy options and options that are going to make them feel good during and after their meals. We strive to achieve that.”

As the first organic cold-pressed juice company in Idaho, Boise Juice Co. has clearly proven its niche in the last seven years. What began with a team of just nine employees, four of those being family members, is today four locations that regularly employ 70 people.

Journey Utterbeck, director of operations at the company, said that their employees have helped cultivate a distinct brand and culture that welcomes people in.

“The response from the community has been amazing,” she said. “Being a family- and woman-owned business, we’ve felt the outpouring of love and support from the community. Boise is a great space for small businesses to thrive because of the support that people provide local businesses. Our impact isn’t only reflected in our revenue but in the community that we have been able to build over the past seven years. We have customers that we get to see on an almost daily basis who have become part of our Boise Juice Co. family. Being a family business has extended past our blood family, too. We have employees who have been with us since the beginning and in turn, have become a part of our family as well.”

And while that community is a big part of what makes Boise Juice Co. unique, it’s also the processes they use to offer products that keep people coming back for more. Their juices are processed with the cold-pressed method, which utilizes hydraulic pressure to extract the juice. Each bottle contains up to three or four pounds of produce, which results in juice that’s chock-full of its natural ingredients.

Utterbeck explained, “Not pasteurizing the juice maintains the integrity of the nutrients in the juice and allows your body to absorb the most it can out of each bottle.”

For the acai and smoothie bowls, Boise Juice Co. uses only whole food with no additives. There is no ice, sugar or preservatives in any of their products.

As for what items are most sought after, there are many choices on the menu. The team shares that the most popular acai bowls and smoothies are the peanut butter and Popeye blends. For juices, the “Holy Kale” is their most nutrient-dense green juice, and now with cold and flu season at its peak, the “Turmeric Tonic” is flying off shelves as an immune-boosting juice.

“Whole food means that you are only getting the frozen fruit along with the liquid of your choice,” Utterbeck said. “We also are completely plant-based, which allows us to cater to a large population of customers who aren’t often able to walk into a restaurant with confidence in finding a product they are going to love.”

Looking at the future of the company, there’s nothing but sweet things on the horizon.

“Boise Juice Company is a space for everyone,” Utterbeck said. “We love seeing new faces and being able to educate people on what we do. The thing that excites us the most is seeing what else we can do and grow to be. A growth mindset is something that we’ve always had. We’re constantly striving to be better and push ourselves. We have a lot of fun … and can’t wait to bring our amazing community along with us throughout this journey.”