By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TRIBECA — A line of cleansing juices sold exclusively at Whole Foods Tribeca is flying off the shelves so quickly that the store can barely keep the drinks in stock.
Fans of the nutrient-packed BluePrintCleanse juices said they were thrilled when Whole Foods started carrying them a few weeks ago. The drinks were previously only available in bulk online.
"It’s great — it’s a lot more convenient," said Myra Magaletta, a TriBeCa resident in her 30s and a regular BluePrintCleanse drinker.
But Magaletta and other fans are also getting frustrated that they can’t count on their favorite variety to be on the shelf. Shortly after noon on Tuesday, the refrigerated section for BluePrintCleanse juices was entirely empty.
"I’m so disappointed," said Smita Daryanani, a Financial District resident who had stopped by for the vegetable-filled Green juice. "I didn’t know they sold out so quickly."
Daryanani, 37, said she first tried the juice a few weeks ago, not as part of a multi-day cleanse, but just as a meal substitute.
"Sometimes I get sick of eating food," she said. "I want something that tastes clean and fresh."
Founded in 2007, BluePrintCleanse guides its customers through all-juice fasts that last up to six days. People around the country order the juices in bulk online, for about $60 to $85 per day.
After co-founder Erica Huss heard from many customers who wanted to pick up the juices on the go, rather than ordering them in advance, she decided to try a retail pilot. Huss picked TriBeCa because of its burgeoning population of young families, plus the legions of corporate workers nearby who often band together to do cleanses.
"TriBeCa is a cool niche for us," said Huss, 35, a Brooklyn resident. "It’s a crossroads for all our different client types."
Eighty percent of BluePrintCleanse’s users are women, mostly between the ages of 26 and 42, Huss said.
While juice cleanses are often associated with extreme celebrity diets, Huss said they’re not just about physical appearance and weight loss.
"People are treating it as a reset button, whether they use it to recover from a weekend of overindulgence, or to kick-start a wellness program, or to shed a few pounds to get back on track," Huss said.
Magaletta, the TriBeCa resident, said she feels healthier when she drinks the juices.
"It gives you energy," Magaletta said. "You need to cleanse to restart and rebalance."
The juices sold at Whole Foods include the Red (carrot apple beet), the Green (leafy vegetables) and the Gold (pineapple apple mint), which each cost $8.99; the White (cashew milk) for $7.99; and the lemonade for $5.99.
