DARIEN, CT — Clean Juice, a USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise offering smoothies and more, will open a new store in Darien this spring, its second location in Connecticut.

According to District Manager Victor Rivera, the Darien location's tentative soft opening date is scheduled for March 26, with a grand opening planned for April 9, however he emphasized these dates could change should any delays pop up.

For the Clean Juice team, opening a location in Darien was an obvious choice due to its size and strong sense of community. The franchise also operates a location up north in Simsbury.

"We wanted to bring Clean Juice to the smallest town on Connecticut's gold coast," Rivera said. "We felt that it is important to have a strong bond with the community. With Darien being that small town, we knew that it was the perfect match."

They also felt opening in a smaller town, in an area where everyone knows each other, would be most ideal for a company that prides itself on both serving and educating the community.

"We pride ourselves on educating the community on the benefits of eating organic," Rivera said. "We believe that being first, or in our case being the second location, is beneficial."

According to Rivera, what sets Clean Juice apart from similar businesses in the area is their process of "cold pressing" all their juices on site.

"We bottle, seal, label and date every bottle by hand," Rivera said. "We even have a large window where you can see us pressing the juices."

Should the store begin opening to the public in March, it will mark a year since plans for the store were first put in place. Rivera said the franchise began lease negotiations back in March 2021, however they were unable to get it finalized until late October.

The team also encountered delays in shipping for equipment, and hiring has proved challenging due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, according to Rivera.

Despite those setbacks, Rivera and his team are eager to open the doors in Darien and familiarize customers with their unique menu.

While there are many items Rivera would recommend sampling, he suggested customers try the acai berry bowl, which contains organic acai, almond milk, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, granola, honey and goji berries.

For customers seeking a meal replacement, he recommended the "Intense One," a protein shake made up of apple, spinach, kale, lemon, avocado, coconut water, ginger and spirulina with hemp powder.

Rivera and his team also hope to give back to the Darien community through "school spirit" events, during which Clean Juice will give 10 percent of its sales for that specific event back to the organization.

"Clean Juice Darien is not just your typical juice bar," Rivera said. "We pride ourselves on providing the freshest organic products, educating our guests on the benefits of eating organic and cleansing. Our organic juice cleanse program is safe, easy and a healthy way to bring your mind, body and spirits back to life."

Patch has reached out to the Darien Chamber of Commerce for more information.