A 22-year-old track and cross country runner at UVU saw an untapped market.
The result? Ivie Juice Bar in Provo.
Ivie Blake Gonsalves opened her juice bar’s doors Oct. 20.
“There are plenty of yogurt and ice cream places in Provo,” Gonsalves said. “I wanted to start a place where people could be indulging in a delicious snack but be eating healthy at the same time.”
Ivie’s uses fresh produce and natural ingredients in a variety of options to satisfy cravings. Options include smoothies, shakes, milks, acai bowls, juices, cleanses and small snacks.
Scott Hollingshead, a senior at BYU, is glad to have discovered Ivie Juice Bar.
“The acai bowls taste like fruit sorbet, and I am stoked this place is close to campus for a good after-school snack,” Hollingshead said.
The student-visionary who spent her summers working in California employed friends and family to get her store up and running in just four short months since conceiving Ivie. Gonsalves has a passion for healthy living and based her menu off her personal diet.
Nancy Gonsalves, Ivie’s mother, helped with creating the menu and formulating the ingredients of each product.
“We did a lot of taste testing,” Nancy Gonsalves said. “For the cleanses we wanted to make sure we incorporated a balance of all the nutrients a body needs throughout the day. With a lot of hard work we managed to create recipes for juices that have the correct amount of carbs, proteins and everything else in a healthy, balanced day.”
Gonsalves chose the downtown location for her juice bar with the neighborhood in mind.
“With the new temple being built and a lot of new businesses opening here, the University Avenue and Center Street area is gaining a lot of traction,” Ivie Gonsalves said. “The location is key to any business, and we are excited to serve the residents and visitors of downtown Provo.”
