our history
Fresh has evolved since 1990 from its beginnings as a mobile juice bar called Juice for Life. What began as a one woman operation with Ruth Tal at the helm, has grown into a partnership of four with over 150 employees.
After traveling and working around the world for seven years, Ruth returned to Toronto, at age 25, with the intention of going to the University of Toronto. Instead, after experiencing her first organic carrot juice, Ruth changed her mind and decided to use her student loan to buy two industrial juicers. Learning about the numerous medicinal and nutritional benefits of many fruits and vegetables brought an almost evangelical desire to share this with as many people as possible.
Hitting the road, Ruth set up booths and juiced at events like the Lollapalooza Festival, Caribana Festival, Edgefest, Kumbaya Aids Benefit, various health lectures and the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair. Soon she opened her first semi-permanent seasonal location on the patio at Queen Street’s famed Bamboo Club. A year later she moved to a permanent spot in the Queen Street Market, right across from the CityTV/Much Music headquarters. Here she created the signature juices, salads, rice bowls and veggie burgers that formed the core of the Juice for Life menu. Her tiny place was soon bursting at the seams.
Three years later, Ruth was ready to open a full service restaurant where she could expand the menu and serve beautiful food. The dream was to have a place where marginalized vegetarians felt welcome and regular people could enjoy healthy food that wasn’t bland or boring. She found an old Hungarian schnitzel restaurant in the Annex and made it her own while continuing to operate the Queen Street Market location.
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After traveling and working around the world for seven years, Ruth returned to Toronto, at age 25, with the intention of going to the University of Toronto. Instead, after experiencing her first organic carrot juice, Ruth changed her mind and decided to use her student loan to buy two industrial juicers. Learning about the numerous medicinal and nutritional benefits of many fruits and vegetables brought an almost evangelical desire to share this with as many people as possible.
Hitting the road, Ruth set up booths and juiced at events like the Lollapalooza Festival, Caribana Festival, Edgefest, Kumbaya Aids Benefit, various health lectures and the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair. Soon she opened her first semi-permanent seasonal location on the patio at Queen Street’s famed Bamboo Club. A year later she moved to a permanent spot in the Queen Street Market, right across from the CityTV/Much Music headquarters. Here she created the signature juices, salads, rice bowls and veggie burgers that formed the core of the Juice for Life menu. Her tiny place was soon bursting at the seams.
Three years later, Ruth was ready to open a full service restaurant where she could expand the menu and serve beautiful food. The dream was to have a place where marginalized vegetarians felt welcome and regular people could enjoy healthy food that wasn’t bland or boring. She found an old Hungarian schnitzel restaurant in the Annex and made it her own while continuing to operate the Queen Street Market location.
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Recognizing that she needed help to achieve her goal of making healthy food and juice
accessible to as many people as possible, Ruth turned to Barry Alper. He soon became a
partner in the business. Barry, who had been Ruth’s accountant and business advisor for
the last couple of years, was getting more and more involved with the business, so becoming
partners was the natural and obvious next step.
Shortly after, Jennifer Houston came to work as assistant kitchen manager at Juice for Life on Bloor. A couple of years later, she became so invaluable she was offered the opportunity to partner with Ruth and Barry. Jennifer has since co-authored all three of the Fresh cookbooks with Ruth. Three years after that, Henry Pak, who had worked his way up through every position, was also invited into partnership with Ruth, Barry and Jennifer. Jennifer oversees all the kitchens and recipe development. Henry is responsible for the human resource side of the business. Together, these four partners have created a strong foundation from which to grow and prosper.
In 1999, it was decided that the name Juice for Life no longer represented what the business had evolved into. Recognizing that it had become more than a juice bar, the name Fresh was chosen to reflect the growing popularity of the food.
In 2002, Fresh on Crawford opened on Queen West, at the corner of Trinity-Bellwoods Park. This award-winning location was designed by Ralph and Pina Giannone. It was the first foray into architecturally designed spaces that are modern yet organic.
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Shortly after, Jennifer Houston came to work as assistant kitchen manager at Juice for Life on Bloor. A couple of years later, she became so invaluable she was offered the opportunity to partner with Ruth and Barry. Jennifer has since co-authored all three of the Fresh cookbooks with Ruth. Three years after that, Henry Pak, who had worked his way up through every position, was also invited into partnership with Ruth, Barry and Jennifer. Jennifer oversees all the kitchens and recipe development. Henry is responsible for the human resource side of the business. Together, these four partners have created a strong foundation from which to grow and prosper.
In 1999, it was decided that the name Juice for Life no longer represented what the business had evolved into. Recognizing that it had become more than a juice bar, the name Fresh was chosen to reflect the growing popularity of the food.
In 2002, Fresh on Crawford opened on Queen West, at the corner of Trinity-Bellwoods Park. This award-winning location was designed by Ralph and Pina Giannone. It was the first foray into architecturally designed spaces that are modern yet organic.
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In 2006, the Queen Street location moved into a larger space on Spadina, and is now called
Fresh on Spadina. Also designed by the Giannone team, this location is geared for intense
power lunch rushes for office people and busy dinners for the many customers living in lofts
in the neighbourhood.
In 2007, the original Annex location moved three blocks east to the corner of Bloor and Spadina. Hip architectural firm, Third Uncle, designed the new Fresh on Bloor, in the colourful spirit of the Annex/University of Toronto and Yorkville neighbourhoods. Students, parents, professors, models, musicians, actors, yoga students, professionals and moms with strollers all happily rub elbows here.
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In 2007, the original Annex location moved three blocks east to the corner of Bloor and Spadina. Hip architectural firm, Third Uncle, designed the new Fresh on Bloor, in the colourful spirit of the Annex/University of Toronto and Yorkville neighbourhoods. Students, parents, professors, models, musicians, actors, yoga students, professionals and moms with strollers all happily rub elbows here.
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