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Ashley Lewis, owner of The Beet Box
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The Beet Box is open daily and offers smoothies and smoothie bowls, immunity shooters, specialty toasts, wraps and more.
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The Beet Box has a music-themed focus with framed images of artists on the wall.
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Another wall in the space features lyrics from Lewis’ favorite songs.
Ashley Lewis wasn’t necessarily on the lookout for another outpost of her Cary Street juice and smoothie bar, The Beet Box, but she’s not the type of person who turns down a potential opportunity. Approached about taking over a turnkey property in Union Hill formerly operated by North End Juice Co., she decided to take a peek.
“I came and visited the space and was like, ‘This makes sense,’ and it’s a cool location,” Lewis says.
On March 25, Lewis opens the doors of a new Beet Box at 2400 Jefferson Ave. She debuted the original location at 2611 W. Cary St. in 2020 with then partner Antione “Roc” Meredith, taking over full ownership in 2022. Lewis also operated The Beet Box in a stall at the now shuttered Hatch Local food hall in Manchester.
With a background in business, experience with food styling, a knack for color and a culinary degree, Lewis says the process of growing her venture has felt organic. Speaking to her success, she says, “We’re seeing the numbers; it’s working. When a customer comes, they become a customer all the time. I think we have a superior product.”
Many smoothie and juice bars use ice as a main ingredient, but Lewis says The Beet Box relies on whole fruit, and the result is a thicker, creamier, more flavorful and nutrient-dense sip.
The Beet Box specializes in smoothies and smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juices, and wellness shots. They also offer avocado toasts, including the West Coast Toast with avocado, sliced cucumbers, sprouts and pickled red onion, and wraps such as the Lil’ Cease — massaged kale tossed in wasabi-Caesar dressing with sun-dried tomatoes, crispy chickpeas and cashew-derived “Parmesan.”
While the original location is vegan and meat-free, Lewis says they plan to have chicken on the menu at the Union Hill outpost. They will also serve drip coffee.
Lewis says the acai smoothie bowl is one of the shop’s most popular items, featuring acai, strawberry, mango and apple juice topped with housemade granola, blueberry, banana, honey and coconut flakes. Other bowl choices include a protein-spiked option and another with matcha, spinach and almond milk.
The Hella Good smoothie — a blend of strawberry, mango, lemon, ginger, apple and monk fruit — is a nod to Lewis’ Oakland, California, roots and a phrase she says is prevalent in the city. Other options include the Day-Date, made with bananas, dates, pecans, nutmeg, sea salt, honey and almond milk, or Blueberry Hill, a mix of blueberry, banana, peanut butter, vanilla protein and almond milk. Customers can also snag fresh-pressed juices such as the So Fresh and So Clean, with cucumber, pear, pineapple and mint, and Straight Cash, with kale, celery, cucumber, green apple, parsley, ginger and lemon.
“We’re making our own granola. We don’t use ice, and you can taste the difference,” Lewis says. She also says they recently secured a piece of equipment that allows them to up the ante.
“For years I’ve been looking for the perfect blender that can blend a smoothie bowl, because it’s harder to do [than] the smoothie. I just scored that a month ago. The efficiency is there, and [with expansion] you learn efficiency, and that helps you run better and have a chance to assess.”
Lewis attributes the ability to expand to her team. And while she’s not working the blender as often as she used to, having a crew that believes in the business allows her to focus on growth for everyone.
Known for its bright and colorful aesthetic, The Beet Box brand pulses through the freshly minted (and painted) location. Framed photos of musical artists ranging from Whitney Houston and Aaliyah to Kendrick Lamar, Amy Winehouse and Marvin Gaye decorate the space, pops of personality plastered atop a fun, veggie-themed wallpaper with silhouettes of beets, radishes and carrots. There’s a graffitied beat box (its twin can be spotted at the Cary Street location) and a colorful grab-and-go case. On the walls nearby are lyrics from Lewis’ favorite songs.
The name of the business and its decor represent an integral part of Lewis’ identity: music. She believes music is something everyone identifies with, and she hopes healthy, thoughtfully prepared dishes and drinks are, too.
The Beet Box Union Hill is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
