Today we’d like to introduce you to Meera Patel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in SLC, right on the east benches. My parents are immigrants, my dad from Bombay (Mumbai) and my mom from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They met at Arizona State, where my dad was getting a PHD and my mom was in school for her undergraduate degree. They moved to Utah in 1985 for my dad’s job, and despite the fact that the Indian community was incredibly small at the time, ended up falling in love with Utah and really leaning into what makes this place so magical — biking, hiking, skiing, rock climbing, camping, etc.
Because of that, being active was an incredibly important part of my childhood. Our family was always on the go, always outside, and always doing things with our hands. My parents loved going on adventures and trying new things, and that “get up and go” spirit has really permeated how I’ve approached life, too.
As much as I loved growing up in Salt Lake, I eventually found myself really yearning for a few key things the city lacked — diversity, females in leadership positions, and an overall more inclusive culture in particular, so after graduating high school, I knew it was time to leave the state. I chose to attend Smith College, a small women’s liberal arts college outside of Boston. At Smith, I found my voice and I realized how important it was to find and nurture a community.
I knew I wanted to do something in marketing for a career, so as a senior, I applied to a program at one of the premier ad agencies in NYC: Ogilvy & Mather. Their Associate’s Program (as it was called) allowed 20 newly-minted graduates to rotate through the core disciplines of advertising throughout a one-year period, and then peruse the track you were most drawn to. After several rotations, I landed in a Business Development role, where our core focus was winning new business for the agency. In this rotation, I got to work with several big brands across a wide range of categories and see the nitty-gritty of what brands have to do and face in order to stay relevant. One of our clients, Gap, asked me to leave my program early and join them internally as they were building their global marketing team, which I did.
A couple years later, after having worked in business development at Gap and PepsiCo, I was brought on by Refinery29, a women’s lifestyle media publisher, to help set up and run their brand strategy function. While I was at Refinery29 and after I had gotten married and had my first daughter, Sarina, I started freelancing simultaneously. I realized how much I loved getting to work on passion projects, dream brands, and important culturally-relevant initiatives. I had a “New York forever” mentality — the energy, creativity, work opportunities, and culture in the big city were super appealing, and my husband and I were certain we’d raise our family there… until the pandemic hit.
My second daughter, Kaia, was born on March 1st, 2020 — 8 days before the world essentially shut down. Trapped in a 1000 square foot NYC apartment with a 2-year-old and newborn was excruciating, so a month later we made the decision to come back to Salt Lake for what we thought was going to be a week, at most. As the pandemic went on, we decided to rent a little apartment in Sugarhouse, one of the best ‘walkable’ neighborhoods in Salt Lake. We thought it’d just be for a short period of time, while we debated when and how we could get back to NYC.
The growth that we found in Sugarhouse though, was so inspiring! People just like us — born in Salt Lake and moved away — were returning. New transplants were moving here for the first time. Apartments were coming up left and right. There was a clear, palpable buzz in the air, telling us “Utah is changing, and it’s definitely going to be a market to watch.” It felt like the universe was nudging us to stay in SLC and be part of this new era for the state.
I spent the next few months thinking about what matters most to myself, and how I want to contribute to this community. By nature of being Indian, hospitality is so critical to who I am. Health and wellness is a major cornerstone of how I was raised and how I live, and I found myself thinking (while staring at the Buffalo Wild Wings on 2100 S…) that the people of SLC deserve healthy, delicious options that are going to help them become the best versions of themselves… I should open a Juice Shop!
It took me 8 months after that moment to figure out how to do it, but The Juice Shop (TJS) has been open now for 6 months, and the community response has been so wonderful to see!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
For the most part, I feel like it’s been as smooth as opening a new business can realistically be. I have an amazing team behind me, including a big leaned-in family who truly believes in and supports what I am trying to do with TJS. All the obstacles that have popped up have been tackled with a dozen helping hands, which I am so incredibly grateful for. But running a business isn’t easy, and in the world of food service, it’s particularly challenging.
Before opening TJS, I had never worked in a kitchen before. I obviously love food and juice, but I had no idea what it takes to actually make the volume needed to run an actual shop. The logistics — inventory management, suppliers, cost analysis, sequencing, the best way to operate — that was all new to me, and I’m still slowly figuring out what works best for our business.
Everything we did was a personal “first.” I had no idea how to get the right permits, what equipment would best suit us, where to source it, how to build a space in which we could do what we wanted to, how I’d actually juice several different recipes, etc… but I kept pushing through to find the appropriate answers and solutions.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Juice Shop is a neighborhood, community-inspired juicery and wellness retail destination. We sell cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, hot beverages, grain bowls, toasts, and good-for-you snacks and treats to keep you fueled so that you can do the things you actually want to do!
We’re welcoming, inclusive, and unpretentious. Hospitality is core to our business — we make it a point to remember tidbits about our customers to make them feel seen and special, and we’re transparent about what we’re doing. We want our customers to understand why we offer or do something a certain way. Our brand is super approachable. From our simple, easy-to-remember name to our graphics, packaging, and tone of voice, we really try to take the fuss out of what juice can sometimes feel like.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
1. Life is short, so just DO the thing! I really believe that the pandemic put a lot of things into perspective for people — what matters, how we want to spend our time, who we want to spend it with, how we want to live, etc. If there’s anything I learned from Covid, it’s that life is precious. You SHOULD do the things you want to do while you still have the energy and fortitude to do so.
2. Community is crucial. The pandemic was incredibly lonely. We are social creatures who thrive off each other’s energy. We need human interaction, and knowing that a healthy community is a happier community, it’s critical to support, nurture, love and respect our well-being and joy.
3. Health is Wealth. Our health is everything. You truly can’t do anything if you don’t feel well, so taking care of your body and brain is the best way to squeeze the most out of life. Drink your juice!
Contact Info:
- Website: thejuiceshopslc.com
- Instagram: @thejuiceshopslc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejuiceshopslc/
