A new Juno Beach cafe is serving up healthy eats with a side of positive energy.
Dishing out breakfast and lunch, Jaya Nutrition Bar offers health-conscious guests organic goodies including oatmeal, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, teas, coffee, cold brews, and pressed sandwiches.
Customers at the eatery, which opened Aug. 5, can also indulge with items like chocolate croissants and grilled cheese sandwiches (hello, Pesto-Mozza), plus enjoy popular offerings such as matcha and chai lattes.
For owner Cecile Alfonzo, a former yoga teacher who’s been practicing for more than 20 years, the goal of the shop is to nourish mind, body and soul.
The name Jaya translates to “victory” in Sanskrit, and the message it carries aligns with what Alfonzo hopes patrons get out of the dining experience.
“It’s also similar to joy. So for me, it’s something really positive, really uplifting, and I wanted to basically bring that feeling [to the community],” she said.
The walls of the 10-seat cafe are decorated with soothing, pastel-colored artwork meant to keep a calm environment for those who come to work on a laptop or just to meet friends for a quick bite.
A mountain mural (a nod to the Puncak Jaya mountain in Indonesia) lines one wall, while a beachy tapestry of animals packed into a VW van hangs on another. The latter features the message “Never stop exploring”—a sentiment, as Alfonzo puts it, that’s essential to keep in mind, whether you’re traveling to new places or simply stepping out of your comfort zone.
“For me, it’s really important to keep curious about everything,” she said. “Discover yourself first and then the world.”
After moving from Montreal almost two years ago, continuing to explore the Jupiter area—the beach in particular—remains a priority for Alfonzo. That’s why Jaya operates six days a week, with Sundays reserved for some fun in the sun with her family.
So far, the past few days have been a whirlwind at the eatery, with friends from the Kula Yoga Shala studio where she practices coming to check out her first retail venture.
“We really appreciated the people who showed patience,” she said. “It was a bit crazy, but we got lots of support.”
One thing is for certain: Alfonzo’s newest adventure is just getting started.
Jaya Nutrition Bar is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The eatery is closed on Sundays.
Jaya Nutrition Bar; 869 Donald Ross Road, Juno Beach
(Lead photo: Cecile Alfonzo and her husband at Jaya Nutrition Bar on opening day. Above, an employee stands in the kitchen of the new eatery.)
(Photos provided by Cecile Alfonzo and Facebook/Jaya Nutrition Bar)
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the studio where Alfonzo practices as Kula Shala Yoga. It is Kula Yoga Shala.
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