Essex Squeeze Kicks Off National Expansion With Grand Opening Of New Cafe In Philadelphia With Fresh Made Juices, Smoothies And More

Two childhood friends had big dreams of becoming fruit vendors on the Lower East Side. That friendship led them to create Essex Squeeze – one of New York’s healthy cafes serving up fresh made-to-order smoothies, juices, toasts and bowls. Owners Cedric Hernandez and Charles De La Cruz are now proud to grand open their sixth location right here in Philadelphia. The Northern Liberties location at Liberties Walk (1030 N. 2nd Street) represents the start of their national expansion outside of New York City. The new cafe is now open seven days a week and offers nearly 40 fresh made healthy options that balance nutrition, flavor and affordable prices. Hours will be 8:00am to 7:00pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10:00am to 6:00pm on Sundays.

“Essex Squeeze is a healthy and affordable taste of New York City flavor,” said De La Cruz in a statement. “It isn’t just a juice and smoothie bar, but it is a representation of a childhood dream come true. We are proud to bring this passion and our heart with us as we expand nationally starting right here in the City of Brotherly Love.”

Essex Squeeze aims to provide affordable, nutritious and tasty made-to-order freshly squeezed juices, healthy shots, smoothies, toasts, bowls and new fresh-squeezed lemonades. The menu is charged with super fruits and healthy options that fuel the immune system. Essex focuses on letting patrons create their own drinks with ingredients they pick out – with an extensive variety of ingredients to pick from. There are also smoothies and juices created specially by the owners themselves – with names that pay homage to the various famous NYC streets they grew up and made memories on.

For the opening menu in Philadelphia, patrons in Northern Liberties will find items that includes endless options for customizing the perfect drink/bowl:

Freshly Squeezed Juices – Apple, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Orange, Pineapple and Watermelon (Seasonal).

Juices – Ave D Beets (Beets, Carrots, Apple, Lemon, Ginger), Delancey Essex Flu (Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Pineapple, Ginger), Greene Street (Celery, Kale, Spinach, Lemon, Ginger), Loisaida’s C (Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Carrot, Grapefruit), Ludlow St. RX (Pineapple, Apple, Orange and Lemon), Orchard St. Bargain (Apple, Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Lemon), 10 Piece (Beets, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Ginger, Kale, Lemon, Parsley, Spinach, Turmeric).

Make Your Own Juices – Juice (Apple, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Orange, Pineapple) plus two Add-Ons (Apple, Banana, Beer, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Cilantro, Ginger, Grapefruit, Kale, Lemon/Lime, Mango, Mint, Papaya, Parsley, Pineapple, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries, Turmeric).

Smoothies – Runner’s High (Base + Spanish, Banana, Strawberries, Hemp Seeds), Foreign Affairs (Base + Pitaya Pineapple, Mango, Coconut Flakes), Summer Fling (Base + Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple), Gostoso (Base + Acai, Banana, Mixed Berries, Chia Seeds), True Yorker (Base + Banana, Peanut Butter, Whey Protein, Almonds), The Lowa (Base + Pineapple, Avocado, Mango, Banana), Wake Up Call (Base + Date, Banana, Walnuts, Flaxseeds + Add Coffee).

Bases – Milk (Dairy, Almond, Cashey, Coconut, Oat, Soy), Juice (Apple, Cucumber, Green, Orange, Water, Coconut), Water (Coconut, H2O).

Toasts – Apple (Granny Smith, Nut Butter, Chia Seeds, Cinnamon, Honey), Banana (Nut Butter, Walnuts), Avocado (Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Olive Oil, Black Pepper, Pink Himalayan Salt) and Berry (Fresh Strawberries, Raspberries and Nut Butter).

Shots in 2 oz., 4 oz. and 8 oz. – Ginger, Ginger Lemon, Turmeric Ginger, Sea Moss, Wheatgrass.

Bowls – Acai (Acai, Banana, Berries Topped with Banana, Strawberries, Granola), Acerola (Acerola with Berries Topped with Mango, Fresh Strawberries, Chia Seeds), Banana (Banana and Peanut Butter Topped with Shaved Almonds, Walnuts and Cacao Nibs), Coconut (Coconut Topped with Banana, Granola and Coconut Flakes), Green (Acai, Spinach, Kale, Spirulina, Topped with Kiwi, Walnuts, Agave), Pitaya (Pitaya, Pineapple, Banana, Topped with Strawberries, Banana Coconut Flakes).

All bowls include your own base for ultimate customization – including milk (almond, cashew, coconut, oat and soy), juice (apple, cucumber, orange), water (coconut, H2O).

Make Your Own Bowls include a base above plus any two toppings – including choice of banana, blueberries, kiwi, mango, pineapple, strawberries, almonds, chia, coconut flakes, granola, hemp seeds, peanuts, walnuts, agave, honey, almond butter, peanut butter.

Add-Ons – Extensive list includes Acai, Agave, Almond Butter, Almonds, Avocado, Bee Pollen, Beet Powder, Black Cumin Seed, Burdock Root, Cacao, Camu Camu, Chlorella, Coffee, Collagen, Dates, Flaxseed, Goji Berries, Hemp Protein, Hemp Seeds, Maca, Matcha, Mct Oil, Moringa, Pea Protein, Pumpkin Seeds, Pomegranate, Sea Moss, Wheatgrass and more.

For the first location out of New York – and the place to start their national expansion, the two owners selected Philadelphia and the neighborhood of Northern Liberties. Essex Squeeze falls directly in the middle of the Northern Liberties Restaurant Row, with SET NoLibs and El Camino Real to the North, with Urban Village Brewing Company, Figo, Bagels and Co. and Anejo Philly across the street and to the east.

“When we were deciding where to start our expansion plans, there was no doubt it was always going to be Philadelphia,” said Hernandez. “Philadelphia is so close to us and we both have friends here and visit frequently. We love the restaurant and food scene, and the neighborhoods have the same energy and character as back home. And while some folks want to create that rivalry between Philly and New York, we are here to say we love both. Both are America’s best food cities and what an asset to have them so close to each other. There’s no competition in my mind, only two great food destinations only an hour or two apart from one another. To me, that’s a win-win and the best of all worlds.”

When asked why Northern Liberties, Hernandez said, “This is the fastest growing neighborhood in Philadelphia right now. It has great roots and history, but its also evolving, changing and bringing in a great diverse mix of people into one place. I love that we get to be part of that energy, that excitement and that change. For me on the fitness side, there’s a great community here with runners and lots of great gyms – and there’s multiple running clubs in both Fishtown and Northern Liberties. I love how you can walk down the street and watch Maleek Jackson teaching local youth boxing, head across to the Piazza for classes at OrangeTheory, and catch a high energy class at CKO Kickboxing. Plus, Liberty Lands is where it’s at for getting outside and breathing the fresh air. I haven’t grabbed a smoothie and relaxed there yet, but it’s definitely on my list for when things calm down this week.”

The story of Essex Squeeze dates back to 1988 where Hernandez and De La Cruz were growing up together in the Lower East Side. Their neighborhood was a fast growing and eclectic community full of immigrant families striving to make a living. It was a place that inspired the soon-to-be entrepreneurs that dreamed of becoming fruit vendors – a healthy type of hustle.

De La Cruz had an early passion for hospitality, working his way up to being manager at the world-renowned Katz’s Delicatessen. De La Cruz started work there at only 16 years of age and held what Grub Street jokes was about every position possible – from busboy, to server, to cook, to head manager. He says, “Feeding New York became a passion of mine.”

Hernandez, on the other hand, became passionate about healthy eating through his love of fitness, running and the running community. He is one of the Founders of the Bridge The Gap (#BTG) Running Movement , Co-Captain and original crewmember of the NYC Bridge Runners Crew.. Athletic and creative, he and the Bridge Runners have motivated residents of New York to stay active and strengthen their community bond since 2004. He and his Crew have partnered with sponsors like Nike and Cliff Bar, hosted concerts and panel discussions, and organized Midnight Half Marathons for their runners and friends all over the world.

The two would bring their unique skills and passions together to create a playful, high-energy twist on their long-time childhood dream. Together they would create Essex Squeeze to provide healthy options for the people in their community fresh-made refreshing smoothies, juices, bowls and toasts – all at an affordable price.

Essex Squeeze went from an idea to reality when De La Cruz, whose family ran the Viva Fruits and Vegetables produce company at Essex Market for 20 years, informed Hernandez of an opening at the market for a new vendor. Together, the two went to work to create the new business. The pandemic potentially could have stalled the project, but instead made the two work harder as they felt people more than ever needed to strengthen their immune systems and maintain healthy balanced diets. Essex Squeeze at Essex Market went on to grand opening in 2020 with other locations now open in DeKalb Market, High Line Park and Jacx and Co.

With the Philadelphia location, that makes five locations and counting – with more Philadelphia locations on the way.

Keep up with What Now Philadelphia’s restaurant, retail, and real estate scoop by subscribing to our newsletter , liking us on Facebook , and following us on Twitter . Opening a restaurant? Browse our Preferred Partners .