Pop-up juicery expands into brick-and-mortar

Nicole Lee Howard began making fresh, homemade juices from her home in 2020, during the pandemic. What used to be a hobby has helped Howard find success, leading her to open a brick-and-mortar location in East Walnut Hills. As such, Fruleef Juice Cafe will open at the end of October.  

Howard began her juicing journey as a health sciences student at the University of Cincinnati, where she learned about the naturally fermented probiotics and prebiotics featured in her juice products.After beginning her juicing business at home, she transitioned into a commercial kitchen in Lockland. Now it has been five years of juicing and growth for the small business. Fruit juices and smoothies have been making a comeback post-pandemic as health and wellness trends have become popular. Consumers are searching for food options that taste good as well as support their gut and metabolic health. Today, Howard produces juice cleanses, smoothies and juice shots that are meant to increase energy and vitality.  

Howard began searching for a property downtown earlier this year before eventually signing a three-year lease in Walnut Hills. Helping her get her storefront off the ground, Howard is a recipient of a grant from Main Street Ventures, which provides funding to “promising, revenue-generating businesses to scale their community impact and increase the odds of survival.”  

“If you know me, you know I live for anything health-related,” reads Fruleef’s Instagram page. “Juicing, healing, wellness, good food … I wanted to prove that healthy food could still hit every time, taste-wise and feel-good-wise.” 

921 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati, Mon. Closed. Tue.-Sun. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.