Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Zakrajsek.
Hi Erika, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey towards owning a juice bar started probably before I knew it when my grandmother gave me my first juice back in 1975. It was carrot, apple, celery. I’ll be honest. I didn’t love it. Haha! Fast forward to 2004, I was training for my first marathon, and I was looking for ways to improve my nutrition and fuel more efficiently. I had dabbled in juicing again buying the same brand, the Jack LaLane juicer, that my grandmother had used!! It wasn’t until several years later that I became more consistent with juicing and gravitating towards more plant-based eating. The more I was incorporating juicing into my daily routine the more others became interested in it. But they had no interest in doing it themselves. Haha! It’s a lot of work. Messy work. And can potentially be a lot of waste if you’re not consistent. I started a home-based juice business while I was working a full-time job, based on interest expressed by others. Most of my clients were friends, co-workers or co-workers of my husband.
In 2013 I quit my full-time job, bought a food truck and in 2014 took the juicing business on the road to farmers markets, yoga events, private events, and any opportunity I could get. It proved to be a product people enjoyed and were interested in, so in 2015, we purchased a sweet little building with a drive-thru and started what I believe to be the first drive-thru juicery, CLE Juice Box!!! Our primary product is the cold pressed, non-pasteurized juice, but we also serve all vegan and gluten-free foods that have been just as popular. We focus on foods that are not processed, and we make everything in-house, including our Not Chicken Nuggets and our Quinoa Sprouted Oat Burgers. We are healthy “fast” food.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Big picture, I cannot complain. It has been a fairly smooth road. The challenges have been that it is a lot of work to make the juice and all the food, but it is a labor of love. It has to be. And we have a passionate team. We are a small space, so many of the challenges have to do with how to be as efficient as possible both with workspace and inventory space. Product-wise, some challenges have been quality and consistency, but our menu changes frequently and based on availability, so that helps.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about CLE Juice Box?
We are a drive-thru juicery and fast-food plant-based business. We are known for quality and creative plant-based foods, but we are also known for our silly antics and friendly customer service!!! We genuinely care about our people that support us!!! I’m most proud of how passionate our team is. We all believe in our mission to provide nourishing juices and foods to our customers combined with positive vibes. The energy you transfer to others matters!! We live it, and we try to lead by example.
Even though our customer interactions can be as short as 45 seconds, we have the power to change their day in a positive way!!! And I truly believe our customers feel that and that’s what I believe sets us apart. We are truly engaged.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think because of what I do, some might think that I eat perfectly and work out consistently without fail. And that is simply not the case. I struggle like everyone else. I love potato chips and pretty much all chips! But I don’t like to label things as good or bad. I simply accept and move on, always looking to improve. My biggest win is I do a pretty good job of not eating/drinking processed. Not everything I do is “healthy” all the time, but I can pretty much guarantee I’m not consuming processed ingredients. When others ask me for advice, that is where I tell them to start. Try to minimize or eliminate processed ingredients. Small step changes are the lasting changes. My culinary lifestyle has evolved over the course of about 20 years. I also love dressing up, but you’d never know it based on my appearance at work!!! Haha!!! I love live music, and I probably swear too much. And I have a short temper, but I’m way more mindful and chill than I used to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: Clejuicebox.com
- Instagram: CLE Juice Box
- Facebook: CLE Juice Box
- Twitter: CLE Juice Box
