Where does New York City turn to for validation? Philly, of course.
A brand-new, healthy juice bar and café, Essex Squeeze, has chosen Northern Liberties as its first venture outside the bounds of New York City’s five boroughs. Essex Squeeze is now open on the Liberties Walk on 2nd Street.
The health-forward café serves made-to-order juices, smoothies, bowls and a full menu of healthy, nutritious and delicious offerings throughout the day. Every offering can be modified in literally hundreds of ways to please even the most demanding palate.
Lifelong friends Cedric Hernandez and Charles De La Cruz grew up on the Lower East Side of New York dreaming of becoming fruit vendors. The pair joined forces in 2020 opening its first location at the Essex Market by combining Hernandez’s interest in healthy eating, running and fitness with De La Cruz’s experience in the hospitality industry at locations, including the iconic Katz’s Delicatessen.
Born at the dawn of the pandemic, the duo doubled down on its efforts to bring offerings that would boost immunity. That commitment allowed Essex Squeeze to expand to several locations across NYC.
“Essex Squeeze is a healthy and affordable taste of New York City flavor,” De La Cruz said. “It isn’t just a juice and smoothie bar, but it is a representation of a childhood dream come true. We are proud to bring this passion and our heart with us as we expand nationally starting right here in the City of Brotherly Love.”
Essex Squeeze delivers flavorful and nutritious offerings with an eye on value. The combination has made its locations very successful. Now they are branching out.
“When we were deciding where to start our expansion plans, there was no doubt it was always going to be Philadelphia,” Hernandez said. “Philadelphia is so close to us and we both have friends here and visit frequently. We love the restaurant and food scene, and the neighborhoods have the same energy and character as back home. And while some folks want to create that rivalry between Philly and New York, we are here to say we love both. Both are America’s best food cities and what an asset to have them so close to each other. There’s no competition in my mind, only two great food destinations only an hour or two apart from one another. To me, that’s a win-win and the best of all worlds.”
Essex Squeeze is located in the heart of Restaurant Row in Northern Liberties.
The first Essex Squeeze location outside of New York City is no accident.
“This is the fastest-growing neighborhood in Philadelphia right now,” Hernandez said. “It has great roots and history, but it’s also evolving, changing and bringing in a great diverse mix of people into one place. I love that we get to be part of that energy, that excitement and that change. For me on the fitness side, there’s a great community here with runners and lots of great gyms – and there’s multiple running clubs in both Fishtown and Northern Liberties. I love how you can walk down the street and watch Maleek Jackson teaching local youth boxing, head across to the Piazza for classes at OrangeTheory, and catch a high-energy class at CKO Kickboxing. Plus, Liberty Lands is where it’s at for getting outside and breathing the fresh air. I haven’t grabbed a smoothie and relaxed there yet, but it’s definitely on my list for when things calm down this week.”
