CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – When Jazmyn Chacon was pregnant with her daughter, she craved smoothies and fruit, so she is opening a business that features both.
Jade’s Juice Shop, at 127 N. Main St. in downtown Chambersburg, is focused on making smoothies with all-natural ingredients. It opened Oct. 16, delighting Chacon’s 7-year-old daughter because it bears her moniker.
“She’s so excited,” Chacon said of Jade, who also loves smoothies. “She can’t stop talking about it.”
The business – which she owns with her mother – and its products are a sweet topic about which Chacon is happy to chat.
“They’re all-natural,” she said of her drinks. “We usually don’t use sugar” to flavor them because the seasonal fruits they contain are sweet enough.
Banana, strawberry and mango are among the flavors offered. Patrons can add options such as almond milk, regular milk, chia seeds and flaxseed to suit their tastes.
A high-powered blender is used to crush the ice and blend the fruit into the tasty 12- and 16-ounce concoctions.
Other drinks on Jade’s menu include atole (a hot beverage made from corn flour and chocolate or different ingredients), tamarind juice, horchata (a plant-milk beverage) and agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea).
For those who want something chewy or crunchy to go with their beverages, the menu also features what Chacon called “small bites” with a Guatemalan flair. Her mother, Maria Lemus, will whip up taquitos, shrimp cocktail, fruit salads, nachos and guacamole, plus tamales.
Chambersburg residents Chacon, 31, and Lemus, 52, are not new to the world of business. They opened Lemus Unlimited in 2005 in downtown Chambersburg, where they offered notary and cellphone services, plus tax preparation. They started selling smoothies there in 2010, then closed the multifaceted shop three years later.
They decided it was time to get back in the smoothie business.
“They’re just so refreshing,” Chacon said of the chilled, flavorful beverages. Even in the colder months, she said they can help people rejuvenate and relax.
Jade’s cozy space holds a few tables that can seat a total of six, and the owners are hoping to get a permit for outdoor seating. Chacon and Lemus are the only staffers right now, but if they get too busy, they’ll hire others.
Downtown Chambersburg Inc. President Sam Thrush is excited about adding the juice shop to the unique mix of businesses on North Main Street.
“We are thankful that North Main Street is receiving a new business,” Thrush said. “The space that Jade’s Juice Shop is using hasn’t been utilized in a while, and they are a nice addition to the 100 block of North Main Street, joining SIMZ, REmix Design, Council for the Arts, Black Diamond Studios, Coyle Free Library and Best Laid Seams.”
Jade’s Juice Shop is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for dining in and carryout orders.
For more information, find Jade’s Juice Shop on Facebook.