Nekter juice reopens original site with revamped fare and decor
By about 7 a.m. Friday, the parking lot behind Nekter Juice Bar in Costa Mesa was nearly full.
Early risers — mostly women — lined up around the building, waiting for the free drinks and other giveaways that were part of the store’s grand reopening. Behind them, a delivery truck from another Costa Mesa institution, Penjoyan Produce, idled as a worker dropped off fresh celery and apples.
Inside, the scene was reminiscent of an early-morning club, as speakers pumped dream-like techno above the chatter and grinding blenders. Patrons were able to see Nekter’s newly revamped decor, which is being described as “modern farmhouse” and features an airy, bright interior with wire baskets to show off the produce.
Nekter’s East 17th Street location — the 4-year-old chain’s first store — was closed from Oct. 15 to Nov. 21 for the redesign work. It now has more indoor seating and a larger kitchen, as well as new juice flavors, six new salads and other grab-and-go fare.
Nekter co-founders and owners Alexis and Steve Schulze, a married couple who live in Costa Mesa, said they still maintain strong ties to their first store.
“We were worried that it wasn’t even going to make it,” Alexis said, “so to be here now is pretty cool.”
For Steve, the company’s president and CEO, there was a sense of trying to reinvent juice like Starbucks reinvented coffee.
“We wanted to make it authentic, we wanted to make it fresh and we wanted to make it affordable,” he said.
Four years ago, Nekter was a new concept with about 10 employees and one store on Costa Mesa’s East 17th Street Promenade. But the Santa Ana-based chain grew quickly and now has 48 stores in five states — 23 of which opened during 23 weeks last year — and some 700 employees.
In a nod to the company’s success, Costa Mesa’s chief executive, Tom Hatch, joined the celebratory reopening Friday by offering a city proclamation.
“I don’t know that we would have grown so well if we didn’t start our first store here,” Alexis said. “I give a lot of credit to the community that helped us grow and embraced us so well.”
