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Press Together in Ogden is a juice bar with a spiritual twist

By Valerie Phillips - Special to the Standard-Examiner | Jun 15, 2022
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Adriano and Caroline Liessi of Press Together juice bar on Historic 25th Street in Ogden.
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A bottle of Greengo juice from Press Together, made from organic oranges, grapefruit, lemons, kale, Swiss chard, romaine, parsley and jalapeno.

The Press Together juice bar on Historic 25th Street isn’t just selling a product; it’s about helping people heal both body and spirit.

The nonprofit entity is owned by the Nevada-Utah Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and co-managed by local pastors Adriano Liessi and Abel Alvarado.

The signature item is raw, cold-pressed juice made from organic fruits and vegetables, as well as smoothies, bowls and nondairy milks.

Liessi said the juice bar fits in with the Seventh-day Adventists’ emphasis on health.

“Jesus healed people; he took care of the body so you could stop thinking about the shriveled hand or the pain, so the mind could be cured,” he said. “We feel that’s really the way to go. Nobody has the stamina to listen to the gospel message if you are sick and feeling oppressed in your physical health.”

It also serves as a way to introduce the public to the Seventh-day Adventists’ spiritual message.

“When we go out to fairs to promote our faith, people say, ‘Nah, I’m good.’ But here at Press Together, people say, ‘No, I’m not good, I need help.’ They come to us, seeking help,” Liessi said. “That’s why it’s so relevant.”

Press Together was originally founded in Georgia in 2013, and in 2016 it was sold to the Nevada-Utah Conference. It was opened in Ogden in May 2019 by Pastor Ryan Hablitzel but closed after the COVID pandemic hit. After Liessi became pastor of the West Jordan area, he became co-director with Alvarado, the Ogden area pastor.

Most commercial juices are pasteurized, heating the juice to kill potential bacteria. Press Together uses a cold-press juicer so the juice is never heated. It’s made fresh daily, “so you are able to preserve the micronutrients much better, and they in turn feed your body,” Liessi said.

The juices come from certified organic produce — oranges, grapefruit, apples, beets, carrots, cucumber, kale, parsley and so on.

“It’s the closest to the natural source as you can get, besides picking an apple from a tree and eating it at the source,” Liessi said. “People say they want to eat better but don’t have the time, so we make it easier for you.”

A favorite juice blend is called Greengo — a mix of orange, grapefruit, lemon, kale, Swiss chard, romaine, parsley and jalapeno. The orange adds a pleasant sweetness, with some “grassy” flavor from the green veggies and very mild hint of heat from the jalapeno. Another juice, Red, is made from beet, carrot, apple, lemon and ginger. Front Lawn comes from dandelion, cucumber, celery, Swiss chard, parsley and lemon.

The juices can be blended into smoothies. The El Greengo smoothie uses Greengo juice, plus strawberry, banana and Goja berry.

The Omega smoothie contains cashew milk, blueberry, banana, almond butter, chia seeds, flax seed, hemp and agave.

The juices are $7.50 for a 10-ounce bottle, or $10.50 for 16 ounces. Smoothies are $8.95 for a 16-ounce cup.

Potent 2-ounce “shots” are $3.95. These include Rocket Fuel, which contains oregano oil, cayenne and honey as well as orange, ginger and lemon juices.

“Rocket fuel has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties and it wakes you up,” Liessi said. “It’s like an alternative to coffee, but it contains no coffee and no caffeine.”

The bowls include healthful ingredients such as acai and pitaya (dragon fruit).

People can also take home a Detox Box, with six juices and three types of water (such as alkaline, mint or with chlorophyll extract).

“It’s a meal replacement for that day, enabling you to go through a daylong fast,” Leissi said.

The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and for special downtown events. It’s closed on Saturdays, which is the Sabbath for Seventh-day Adventists.

“That’s the day we choose to rest with our families,” Liessi said.

The shop serves as a prototype that could be opened up in any city by any group of Seventh-day Adventists around the country.

“It’s really to assist people to make those better choices,” Liessi said. “Everybody that comes in here pretty much thanks us for being here as an option.”


IF YOU GO

Location: 195 25th St.

Contact: https://www.presstogether.com; 385-492-3548

Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday

Price: $3.95-$10.50; Detox Box, $65

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