Brandace Johnson and Jada Huffman say nutrition is a tie that has bound them together since they became friends in the seventh grade.
So it’s no surprise that this common link inspired their effort to create B Juiced so that customers inside and outside of Ferguson could benefit from a healthier food choice.
“Our business opened in May 2023, but before we were mobile. So, we do have a mobile trailer and we operated mobile for about a year and a half,” Johnson said.
“Business has been good for us. We are really grateful.”
Located in historic downtown Ferguson at 605 S. Florissant Rd., B Juiced is a welcome oasis in an area some consider a food desert. Johnson and Huffman strongly believe in using the healing properties of nutrient rich fruits and vegetables to promote healthier lifestyles, community wellness, self-love and gratitude.
The storefront is making its mark on the community, but Huffman and Johnson launched their business from the humble confines of a mobile trailer that quickly caught on in Ferguson.
In fact, the mobile unit became so popular that customers soon were asking the co-owners to make these healthy, delicious products available every day. That was all the encouragement these entrepreneurs needed.
“We have impacted the community overall, because they have never had anything like this within the community,” Huffman said. “So, by having us here, it’s allowing them to have healthier options that they did not necessarily have before.”
The B Juiced storefront is going strong but Johnson and Huffman haven’t lost touch with the gains they earned when they were vendors with a mobile trailer. They still take to the streets with the trailer to hawk their products at festivals and special events like Frizz Fest, Trap Run, and VegFest.
As you might expect, summer is a hot time for B Juiced. The big seller then is a drink called “Meant To B,” which is a watermelon based concoction. During the fall the most popular drink is “B Grateful,” which consists of kale, pineapples, apples, and lemon.
B Juiced is also attracting corporate clients who use their space for employee events and business meetings.
“We’ve had a few organizations rent out our space and we have upcoming organizations that plan to rent out the space as well,” Johnson said. “So, yes, we do offer that as an option.”
B Juiced doesn’t go overboard marketing itself but social media has proved to be helpful in spreading the word. They have a Facebook & Instagram @bjuicedmo. B Juiced also has a website https://bjuicedmo.com where both owners both post and manage content. The website lets their customers get a better sense of who they are and why this mission matters so much to them.
B Juiced is closed on Monday, but is open Tues.-Fri. 8am-5pm & Sat. 8am-3pm.
Devored Horton is The St. Louis American’s Comcast/NBCUniversal WIB fellow
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Lab fellowship. The Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.