By Charles Winokoor
Taunton Daily Gazette, Mass.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Juice bar entrepreneur Erin Paiva said she rises early each day to buy fresh produce from local farms and sellers.
RAYNHAM
If you want to get totally juiced and not worry about getting pulled over by the cops, you might want to stop by the commercial plaza at 290 Broadway.
Owner Erin Paiva says customer response has been positive since she opened her Farm2Cup Juicery six weeks ago.
The Taunton native originally titled her all-natural, juice, smoothie and sandwich shop Juice Farm.
But after being informed the name was already copyrighted by a Las Vegas, cold-pressed juice company, Paiva pivoted and renamed her business.
Farm2Cup, she says, is an entirely appropriate moniker.
Paiva said she rises early each day to buy fresh produce from local farms and sellers, such as Freedom Food Farm in Raynham and Farmer’s Outlet on Route 44 in East Taunton.
In terms of capital expense, Paiva says buying direct from local producers is cheaper than relying on a food distributor.
“It cuts out the middle man,” she said.
Like any other entrepreneur, Paiva says she was aware of the risks of flying solo and starting one’s own business.
“I had to walk away from a good job,” she said, referring to her previous position as manager of eight Dunkin’ Donuts in Taunton, Raynham, Seekonk and Norton.
But the single mother of an 8-year-old son said after doing market research she became convinced opening a stylish juicery on busy Route 138 — next to Market Basket and a myriad of other businesses — could be a winning proposition.
“I think there’s a huge market for this, and I’m not afraid to fail,” Paiva said.
She also credits her former boss for providing useful pointers.
“He said it’s crazy,” Paiva said with a smile. “He gave me tough love, but I felt pretty confident.”
Coincidentally, she said, the commercial building at 290 Broadway includes a Dunkin’ Donuts whose franchisee owns the plaza.
The nearest juiceries to Farm2Cup, she says, are in Bridgewater, Fall River and Newport, the latter of two which she says have the same owner.
Paiva says she set out to create what she calls “a cafe setting” where customers can “stay, sit and relax.”
The price range of just under $7 to $8 for a smoothie, she said, is not a deterrent to devotees of healthy living.
Paiva said she now has regular customers who come in daily, including one woman who orders two smoothies, one for breakfast and one for lunch.
She says she signed a three-year lease for the 1,500-square-foot space that previously sat vacant for two years after a Subway shop closed.
The process of improving the space was intensive, she notes.
“I fell in love with the place, but we spent two weeks cleaning up,” she said.
“It was brutal. We ripped apart the walls and completely rebuilt it,” Paiva added.
The result is a warm, contemporary and colorful setting with four tables and four juice bar seats.
The smoothie menu includes the Elvis, made of banana, peanut butter, almond milk and honey, and the Raynham Rawesome, consisting of kiwi, chia seeds, almond milk, strawberries and honey.
Paiva’s personal favorite is the Dirty Espresso, a potent concoction of one tablespoon of espresso powder, almond milk, banana and peanut butter.
Paiva said her staff currently consists of eight part-time and two full-time employees.
Farm2Cup also sells salads, fresh-made soups and an eclectic selection of “toast” items using a single piece of organic Ezekiel.
Raynham Selectman Joseph Pacheco came by for Paiva’s grand opening. He ordered the Dirty Espresso, which he says is his go-to smoothie.
“I’m appreciative that Erin has decided to make an investment in Raynham,” he said.
