QUEENS — The owners of a new juice bar and health food store hope to help Kew Gardens residents stay strong and healthy.
Mother Earth opened at 116-03 Metropolitan Ave. last week, with the goal to offer locals “natural and healing products that can strengthen your immune system," said Simone Lord Marcelle, who runs the store with her husband, Martin Marcelle.
Lord Marcelle said she picked the location after jogging at nearby Forest Park.
“It’s so close to this beautiful park,” she said. “So you can go for a jog and then get a healthy juice here.”
The store offers eight different kinds of juices, such as "Energy Booster," with carrots, parsley, beat, pear, lemon and raspberries, and “Immune Power,” which mixes oranges, pineapple and strawberries.
“It's full of antioxidants, which help fight infections and keep you strong,” said Lord Marcelle who wears many hats — she is also a pastor at Peoples First Baptist Church in Jamaica, a published author, certified natural heath professional, and co-founder of the South East Queens Chamber of Commerce.
Juices at Mother Earth cost $6 for a medium or $7 for a large.
The store also serves Caribbean fusion cuisine, featuring dishes such as basmati rice with turmeric, vegetables and coconut oil, jerk chicken, stew chicken, callaloo soup, garlic spinach in olive and coconut oils and pumpkin talkari, said Lord Marcelle, who immigrated from Trinidad about two decades ago.
“Good food doesn’t have to be bland, you can make it delicious,” she said.
Most dishes cost between $6 and $12, Lord Marcelle said.
Mother Earth Juice Bar & Health Foods opened at 116-03 Metropolitan Ave. last week. (DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska)
The store also offers herbal supplements, handmade soaps and candles, essential oils, honey and teas. Most products come from small businesses and farms upstate New York.
"I wanted to do something to help people live healthier lives," Lord Marcelle said. "It’s within reach.”
