PILSEN — Neighbors can find healthy food, drinks and baked goods at a newly opened family-owned shop in Pilsen.
Marisol “Sol” Garcia opened Sol Fitness & Nutrition Nov. 12 at 1800 W. Cermak Road to bring healthy drinks and snacks to the neighborhood, promoting healthy eating and people “taking care of themselves,” she said.
The menu includes drinks like smoothies, teas, natural juices and homemade atole, a Mexican beverage served warm. Snacks include oatmeal, sandwiches, crepes, waffles and baked goods.
“All drinks have nutritional benefits,” said Garcia, who developed the recipes for all menu items.
Drinks like the best-selling Strawberry Ninja and Strawberry Matcha include supplements like collagen, probiotics and aloe vera. Many smoothies are made with protein powder.
Sandwiches are made with whole-grain bread and served with fruit. These have quickly become a favorite among Cristo Rey Jesuit High School students, who have started visiting the shop after school, Garcia said. The spot is also open early in the morning to provide a nutritious breakfast option to students, parents and neighbors, she said.
Opening the shop is a dream realized for the single mom of two, who has always been interested in preparing healthy food and worked hard to provide for her family, she said.
Garcia started making drinks and lunches and posting them on Facebook before opening a healthy juice bar at The New Hot Spot Hand Carwash And Detailer a few years ago. On Wednesdays, the car wash business offered a half-off special for women, which allowed Garcia to meet other mothers and women.
“I encouraged them to try green juices, spinach smoothies and immunity shots. They really liked them,” Garcia said. “That is how I started becoming known.”
In June, Garcia found a suitable storefront on West Cermak Road, one of her desired locations for her business. After renovating with a family friend’s help and obtaining city licenses, she opened this month.
“This place is a blessing,” she said.
Garcia wants to expand her business so she can leave something behind for her two children. Her goal is to have five juice bars — an ambitious goal for a woman who saw her mother, also a single mother, raise a family of five by selling tamales door-to-door in Mexico.
“I am so happy. I think people have responded positively and I love seeing people trying food that is good for them,” Garcia said. “That’s the most important: We’re offering healthy options to the neighborhood.”
Daughter Brianna Garcia is following in her mother’s footsteps. When she is not at Dominican University, where she is studying to become a nurse, she helps take orders, run social media and make food and drinks at the cafe.
Brianna Garcia and Marisol’s son Brandon Garcia are “incredibly proud” of their mother, they said.
Brandon Garcia, a Cristo Rey Jesuit High School student, walks to the shop after school to grab his favorite: a turkey sandwich. He often brings friends who have also become fans of the sandwiches and are often seen at a table in the shop, doing homework while eating.
Sol Fitness & Nutrition is open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays.
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