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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Femi Collins sits inside his new juice shop, JuiceOrama, located on Bonita Avenue. The former electrical engineer moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1973, and says making juices is a passion he loves to share with others. |
His passion is a mix of fruits, vegetables and herbs
Femi Collins passion for juice recipes could help Claremonters stay more healthy. A Pomona resident originally from Nigeria, Mr. Collins has a passion for juice recipes that now will be a downtown business.
“Growing up in West Africa, I was raised on fruits and vegetables,” he said. JuiceOrama is located at 254 W. Bonita Ave. between Yale and Harvard avenues in the Village.
Mr. Collins first moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1973 to study at a technical school in Los Angeles. He eventually graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and began working as an electrical engineer. His most recent position was with Smith Aerospace in Corona.
His escapades into the world of juicing began 10 years ago when his wife convinced him to buy an expensive blender that liquefied whole fruits and vegetables including skins, seeds, pulp and fiber. After years of developing recipes that he shared among his 9 children and 13 grandchildren, Mr. Collins decided to open up a small juice stand in Pomona’s Farmers Market.
“People fell in love with them and kept coming back,” Mr. Collins said. “They would ask me where my store is and I would say, ‘One day I will have one.’”
After 5 years in the Farmers Market, Mr. Collins was ready to make his dream a reality. While shopping in the Village one day, he noticed the empty store on Bonita Avenue and felt it was perfect location.
The store has been open since August 6 but will have its official grand opening this Friday and Saturday with discounts on juices, free samples and live music. (story continues below)
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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| JuiceOrama, located in the Village, will celebrate it’s grand opening this weekend. |
The Food and Drug Administration recommends eating 2 cups of fruits and 2 and one half cups of vegetables per day based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet. Mr. Collins is convinced that his good health is largely the result of drinking juices on a regular basis. “I don’t remember the last time I got a cold or flu,” said the 59-year-old, who could be mistaken for a man in his 40s.
Mr. Collin’s special recipes feature dozens of different fruits, vegetables and herbs all blended together. He will not use preservatives or refined sugars. Only honey will be used as a sweetener if needed. All his products will be purchased from local markets and grown from local sources as much as possible, he said.
Along with fresh juices, JuiceOrama will serve bagels and hot tea for a breakfast crowd. Fresh produce from local farms will also be available for purchase.
Some of his favorite recipes include the Cleansing Melody with celery, carrots and grapes, Beet Benevolence, with fresh beet root and orange and the Green Zinger, with orange, grapes, strawberries and wheatgrass.
Despite the presence of rival juice shops in the downtown area, such as Jamba Juice, Podges and Maui Wowi, Mr. Collins is not the slightest bit intimidated.
“The taste and [health] benefits will sell themselves,” he said.
—Tony Krickl
