Energetic Juice Bar Is Healthy Success

As I walked through the front door of Energizing Mission, a juice bar on Johnson Drive, I instantly realized where its name came from. Energetic vibes were bouncing off the walls, and pops of color were everywhere. Inspirational quotes surrounded the bar area, including things like “Have a Blessed Day!” They were written in neon colors on white boards and chalk boards, with splashes of green and orange. I was immediately greeted by the owner and the barista, who were as cheerful as their surroundings. It was exactly what I expected from a juice bar with such a good reputation.

The employees were enthusiastically working behind the counter as several high school girl customers were laughing in between sips of their drinks. Some of these girls were playing with the barista’s kids. The owner said that there are about 150 high school students that come in daily from mostly East, St. Theresa’s Academy and Notre Dame de Sion.

The server explained to my friend and I that there are three stages of the Energizing Mission experience. The first step is to drink a shot of mango aloe in a paper dixie cup. The aloe helps keep everything in the digestive system working properly. I was pretty skeptical when I heard this, because I was expecting some green, clumpy, nasty liquid. It turned out looking just like water. I smelled it, took a sip, then took another and another. It was one of the most interesting things I have ever tasted. It was like mango flavored medicine, but in a good, refreshing way.

The next step is to try either lemon, raspberry or original iced green tea. I was amazed when I found out that this tea burns 60-100 calories just from drinking it — no exercise involved. I tried the raspberry flavor, the most popular. I was a bit disappointed in the obvious absence of any sweetener; it was really strong and tart, but I still appreciated how refreshing it was.

Most customers like to have their tea on the side, but there’s also the option to mix it into the final step, which is the meal shake. My friend got the lemon tea, and she loved how fresh it was. I’ll definitely be trying that the next time.

The meal shake is the main course at Energizing Mission. These meal shakes keep you full for two to four hours, and have the benefits of 24 grams of proteins and vitamins. There is an abundance of different flavors to choose from, ranging from coffee to pina colada and everything in between. I went with the most popular, White Wedding Cake. It tasted just like cake batter, and the best part was that you couldn’t even taste the vitamins or proteins — it just tasted like a shake. The other popular flavors are chocolate mint, which tastes like a Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookie, and chocolate peanut butter. Overall, these drinks were amazing, and for just a small price of $6.50. When the cashier told me the price, I thought it was a mistake. How could all of these drinks be just $6.50?

One of the greatest things about this place is the staff. They get to know all of their customers, and even plan exercise classes around customers’ schedules. They are great, “energizing” health coaches that help kids and adults with weight loss or just staying healthy. There are multiple meal plan options that let customers make products at home. This includes snack bars, shakes and more. It is obvious that the people who work there love their jobs and care about each customer.

The overall Energizing Mission experience was eye-opening. I wish I would have heard about it sooner. I encourage everyone to give it a try if they are looking for a tasty way to stay healthy and get energized. I will for sure be going back.