When my Dad, Roland, first uttered the words, “I think we are going to start a juicing company here in Boise” as I sat on his living room couch, I just laughed. As his eyes stayed steady and the smile on his face unchanged, I slowly began to realize it wasn’t a joke. If you had ever met my Dad pre-Boise Juice Company, you would know he was all man and not the type to entertain opening a juice shop! He is a baseball coaching, Harley riding, dirt bike racing, go-kart owning, toy collecting, never been caught wearing pink, man’s man. I had a preconceived notion that juicing companies weren't owned by men like my Dad, or more so, that men like my Dad would never want to own a juicing company. I admit it was extremely naive to have had this thought but trust me, if you had known my Dad growing up, you would have laughed too. In reality, it was his wife, Jes, who saw a need in our community before anyone else ever did. Her dedication to a healthy lifestyle led her to find the many health benefits of organic cold-pressed juice. Their travels together often took them to other places in the US where juicing companies were more prevalent. If there was a juice company in a town that they were in, you can bet that Jes had been there. And if there was a juice cleanse on the market, you bet Jes had tried it after having it shipped to Idaho. That was until she found a small local company that was selling cold-pressed juice at small local shops and at the Boise Farmers Market.

However, when Jes reached out again to order a juice cleanse, she found out that they were going out of business. Jes was immediately disappointed that she couldn't get her favorite juice cleanses locally anymore. Then came a very important realization in Jes’s life, “how many other people are having the same feelings I am right now? How many other people are now forced to ship their juice cleanses to Idaho again, which can not only be expensive but can also affect the integrity of the juice.” The market was already here, with so many people moving to Boise from out of state and with so much of Boise being as active and health conscious as Jes was, she found the need. That is not to say that the next two and a half years were a breeze. There were a lot of uphill battles that come with sourcing organic produce, and working within very small margins, Jes had a lot of work to do in order to make her dream a reality.

After I got over the initial shock and disbelief that came over me when they told me a few weeks later that they were under contract, I realized the real reason behind my Dad’s desire to open a juice company here in Boise, Idaho. It was love. Not yet love for the juice, acai bowls or smoothies that he soon came to admire, but for someone who was passionate about bringing those things to Boise. Jes and my Dad, Roland, then started what is Boise Juice Company today. Opening their first location off State Street in September of 2016 making it the first organic cold-pressed juice storefront in the Treasure Valley. I came to work at Boise Juice Company the November after they had opened their storefront. Those first few months had a lot of learning curves we had to ride through. As we grew we had to constantly adapt and learn more efficient ways to do things. Despite that, in the first year, we more than doubled our production was able to open our highly anticipated second location in South East Boise.

In its infancy, Boise Juice Company started out with just a few juices and Acai bowl recipes. Today, a company founded on love and passion has now grown to three storefronts, with a fourth in the works. Their menu now offers a variety of 22 juices and 21 different Acai bowls and smoothies and their team of just four employees is now 42 people strong, all of which Jes and my Dad consider family. Jes’s passion for health and people is the driving factor behind Boise Juice Company and has created a culture of caring people who are equally as passionate about the products that we serve. Ask anyone on our staff, and they will tell you that the group of people they work with are much more than just co-workers, they are family, and the juice and smoothies we make are much more than a job. This is a community of people who truly love what they do, love who they work with and love the products that they provide. In today’s day and age, that is something extremely hard to come by. I believe it all stems from Jes’s impeccable work ethic, her passion for a healthy lifestyle and her ability to care unconditionally about the people around her.

To be able to watch Boise Juice Company evolve and grow over the past two and a half years is something that I wouldn't trade for the world. Not to mention the amazing group of people that I have come to know and love over the years. I would like to give a very big thank you to Jes for believing in her dreams. She has shown through hard work, a desire to serve, and a hunger for growth, that truly anything is possible. To Jes, every customer, employee, and passerby she meets is an opportunity to change someone’s life. Her dedication to this company and the customers that we serve will be the reason this company will continue to thrive.

I would like to also thank the original crew at Boise Juice Company (many of which are still with us today) and every employee past and present who was there to witness every obstacle. Your commitment to this company has helped to shape Boise Juice into what it is today. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have supported Jes’s journey since the very beginning. You are the inspiration behind this dream.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Treasure Valley for making our dreams possible. If it weren't for you and demanding healthier options for you and your family, we wouldn't have been able to grow in the way that we have. Although we have already come this far, we still have a long way to go. I am so excited for what the future holds for Boise Juice Company. The possibilities are endless and we can not wait to share with you what we have going on in the works.