Name of business: Jem Juicery

Type of business: Juice and smoothie bar

Location: 2031 Geer Rd., Turlock (inside I Am Yoga)

Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday-Friday; closed Saturday-Sunday

Specialty: Nutrient-packed juice

History of business:

Turlocker Valeria Jimenez first began “juicing” when she was 12 years old, taking hearty fruits and nutritious vegetables and combining them into one delicious beverage. Since then, her journeys and eventual return back home to Turlock inspired her to take her love of juicing to the next level and open Jem Juicery inside of I Am Yoga earlier this month.

“People want this product, and it’s not magic,” Jimenez said. “People want to be healthy and feel good.”

Juicing has helped Jimenez overcome a variety of ailments over the years, she said, including acne, being overweight and feeling sluggish. Over time, between living in Los Angeles where everything “wellness” is easily accessible and being in Turlock where she could concoct her own recipes in her kitchen, she realized that a juicery was something the area needed.

“When I first moved back to Turlock six years ago, the first thing I looked for was a juicery,” Jimenez said. “It’s so hard to find those options here, so two years ago my mom and I put a business plan together.”

The Jem Juicery inside of I Am Yoga is not the only location that will grace Turlock with its presence, as Jimenez also has a downtown juice shop in the works, which she expects to be open by the start of the New Year. The smaller-scale juice bar on Geer Road will hopefully introduce juice drinkers both new and old to Jimenez’s menu and from there, she said, they’ll be hooked.

In just two weeks’ time, Jem Juicery has already sold over 300 bottles.

“I see people come in day after day who look better – they look like they’ve come back to life. There’s light behind their eyes and their skin is glowing,” Jimenez said. “This food is made for us to help us feel good and I’m just putting it together in a way that helps you get it down faster.”

Jimenez said Jem Juicery all started with one menu item – The Jem, made from beets, carrots, green apples, cucumber, celery, ginger and turmeric. The juice cleanses the blood and detoxes the body, and is just one of countless menu items including other juices, smoothies, salads, acai bowls, chia parfaits and more meant to help Turlockers lead healthier lives.

“This is definitely something that has not only brought me wellness, but it’s bringing other people wellness,” Jimenez said. “It’s so much more than a juicery. It’s my passion.”