The live on purpose juice experience in Toronto

BY HRISHIKESH DAS GUPTA

Tamara Shelly and Clifford Watson vowed to make a difference in the community with their healthy products and positive vibe. They started Classic Juice Company on August 6th, 2018, and within two years they became one of the most celebrated Caribbean cafes on Coxwell Ave, Toronto. All their healthy juices, smoothies, wraps and other products are made in small batches and for a purpose. The purpose is to uplift the human mind, body and soul naturally.

“Our purpose is to provide an approachable and accessible experience that is fresh, healthy, and enriching to mind, body, soul and spirit. We give you our best with a firm belief in the self-care revolution: A better you is a better us; a better us is a better world.” – Tamara Shelly

Tamara mentioned before the pandemic the neighborhood used to start their day by ordering fresh cold-pressed juice from Classic Juice Co. The regular customers observed an improvement in their hair, nail and skin after adapting their cleansing juice plans. The cafe used to share their space with the CJC Gallery so local artists can showcase their artworks. Last year, the cafe space served as an unpretentious artwork platform for members of the local community including BIPOC, Women, Members of the Mental Trauma Community, Youth, Children and Members of the LGBTQ2 Community. The vibrant music and color therapy of their space became an overnight sensation at the Greenwood and Coxwell area.

Earlier this year, they were in anxiety mode like most other businesses. They stopped showcasing any artwork due to the pandemic. All upcoming pop-up events to promote the Caribbean food businesses at the café have been canceled. They started to offer take-outs only within the reduced hours. Rather than giving up, their faith in God motivated them to think in new ways for the business to survive. Tamara and Clifford expanded their client base by adding Peel and Durham regions. They started to experiment with the takeout hours, adjusted the hours a few times, and finally figured out the peak hour to serve the community. They also started to welcome more clients across Ontario steadily. Recently, the juice lovers across Ontario nominated Classic Juice Company as the best juice bar for the “Now Toronto Readers Choice award”.

“My mother and I never shared any strong bonding between us. We hardly ever spoke to each other. I used to miss the mother–daughter moments, but I was always hesitant to express my feelings to her. We started the juice cleansing plan from Classic Juice Company last year. We started to feel a positive difference in our lifestyle during the cleansing plan. The healthy drinks not only helped us to improve our digestion system and weight loss but also, we both observed an improvement in our relationship. We then started to discuss more about our lifestyles and shared our points of view on different matters. My mother shared that she used to hide all her anxiety from me. The improvement in her physique gave her the confidence to share her emotions with me. Now we share an unbreakable relationship.” – Customer Feedback

This is not the only life-changing story the classic juice team has to offer. Daily hundreds of new and regular customers are coming to order the cold-pressed juices and changing the lifestyles. Tamara explained to me the true definition of Juice. I learned, juice is not an alternative to water, any drinks, or foods. Fresh fruit juices flush toxins from our body and also purify our mind and soul. Pure and simple juices are one of the best practices of self-love and self-care. All the signature smoothie options including peanut moss, mango moss, pineapple – kale – cucumber and pineapple – ginger is very well prepared. The freshly prepared wraps and house-made vegan cookies are affordable, healthy, and delicious.

Tamara and Clifford would like to thank their customers and the community for their unending source of inspiration. I strongly believe their passion, hard work, creativity and perseverance for their business will bring more achievement in the near future.