Fresh juice is always welcome. I visited Joel Swenson’s Oly Go Juice truck in West Olympia. I ordered Berries to Go – an apple, strawberry and blueberry juice blend. I was prepared for various juices, but wasn’t sure what else to expect, least of all the variety of options. Joel doesn’t just prepare fresh, homemade juice and smoothies, but also keeps cold brew nitrogen pressed coffee, water kefir and blackberry Jasmin kombucha on tap.
Oly Go Juice also offers a list of ‘boosts’ you can add to your drink, including bee pollen, goji berry, chia and flaxseed, coconut oil, and many others. On top of being delicious, Joel is health conscious and strives to provide beneficial options on his menu.
Kombucha is a probiotic drink with health benefit fame. Nitrogen enriched coffee and kefir were new to me, so Joel let me have a taste of each of his on tap drinks. The kefir was thicker than water, and sweet. Similar to kombucha, water kefir is good for the digestion and is full of enzymes and beneficial bacteria. The nitrogen enrichment in the cold brew coffee is beneficial because it provides nitrogen which our amino acids need. The coffee was also really smooth. Joel’s kombucha was also sweet, without an overpowering tang or vinegar flavor.
Joel’s juices are made from fresh fruit and berries and he does his best to make sure they are local and organic. He frequents locally owned Jay’s Farmstand for produce. The Oly Go Juice on tap drinks aren’t made in the truck but bought through Rawk Star Creations, a local company specializing in raw health foods and probiotic drinks.
Though his cool drinks are welcome on hot days, it’s getting to that time of the year when it will be getting dark all earlier and the days will be chilly. Joel is conscious of this, and adjusts his hours seasonally. Joel is also considering other items to add to the menu, and he’s been mulling adding soup. He wants, “something that can be put in a cup and taken on the go.”
In business since July 2016, it took Joel about 11 months to get the permits in place to open Oly Go Juice. “I like juice,” he said. “I’ve been juicing for a long time.” He frequented Zoe Juice Bar on the east side of Olympia, and wanted to offer a similar service here in West Olympia. But instead of opening a store, he decided on trucks. This was possible when he saw a food truck on the West Central Park lot and asked how he may contact the property owner, Alisha.
The main reason he picked West Central Park is because of the ongoing development and the weekly farmers market. “Business is getting there,” says Joel, focusing on the future. The plans for the development include Phoebe’s Pastry Cafe’s second location as well as the addition of a few more food trucks to round out the lot.
Oly Go Juice joins barbecue food truck, Rosie’s Joint, at West Central Park. Joel tells me the two work well together.
During the winter months, visit Oly Go Juice from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. If you want to learn more, check out the Oly Go Juice Facebook page or call in your order to 360-359-2622.
