SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - A new restaurant in the borough will provide a unique and healthy choice for mealtime.
A Taste of Life Cafe, a vegan/vegetarian juice bar, opened July 12 at 134 E. Union St.
"It's actually the first one in Schuylkill County," said Heidi Kemble, owner of the juice bar.
The business is in the former East Ward Elementary School and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The cafe may open on Sundays in the future.
There are 20 seats including four tables and a small bar area. Parking is available in the back of the building.
While July 12 was the official opening, the cafe was open during the Six-County Fireman's Convention on June 29.
Kemble has been flirting with the idea of opening a cafe for about three years. She opened the Roots Yoga Studio in the same building about a year ago. The two, she said, complement each other. Some of her customers from the yoga studio said such a place to eat would be a welcome addition to the community.
The colors of the cafe are tranquil and inviting. The walls are a cucumber mint and a pale kale.
"I wanted it to be kind of vegetable colors," Kemble said.
The walls were tan with brown paneling before being painted, Kemble said.
Adding to the calm surroundings, music plays in the background and decorative items, such as lighthouses, adorn the walls.
She chose the name for the cafe because of the importance the sun plays in the role of life on Earth.
"The sun is our vital energy. It's our life force," she said.
The menu features a wide assortment of food but very few meat items.
There is chilled summertime soups, salads, wraps and desserts. For example, the Berry Happy Summer Salad is "all lettuce filled with every berry you can imagine," Kemble said. The cost is $7.50.
"Our soups have been the favorite," she said.
The Sweet Watermelon Gazpacho features watermelon, red peppers, cucumbers and onion.
"The watermelon is the sauce," she said.
The menu will change with the seasons.
The cafe also offers healthy drink options, such as cranberry, blueberry or orange hibiscus tea. Alcohol is not served at the cafe.
Kemble said she orders most of the food from local farmers and growers.
Food served at the cafe is brought in fresh daily except for the chicken and salmon, which is purchased at a store in the area.
On Monday, Cheryl Vernitsky, Schuylkill Haven, was bringing in cucumbers.
For those who might be reluctant to eat at the cafe, Kemble said they should take the chance.
"Just come and try it. You'll like it. It's something different for the taste buds," she said.