Felix O.
Yelp
Kauai Juice Co. was once one of the coolest and most creative juice bars I had ever been to (and I have years of experience in the top echelons of the industry). The selfie, rainbow unicorn, and SBM nut milks were my favorite. The old style Jun was also fantastic.
Unfortunately after years of patronage, you will not find me in one of their stores anymore. I know Kauai is no longer in its golden age and staffing is a nightmare for businesses, but something clearly happened with staffing and/or with the business philosophy.
The products here simply are not what they used to be. Maybe it's generally fine for tourists that don't have previous experience with juice bars, but the locals have noticed. Prices have gone up (not necessarily a criticism) but they are simultaneously cutting corners and costs.
Nut milks that were once made thick and delicious were quietly replaced to be thin, bland and made with cashews. Their smoke sauce that used to be properly thick (and unbelievably good), now runny like water and forgettable. The green juices all taste watered down to me, granted juice is not the most consistent product, but something seems to have changed. I have spent some real money here over the years and tried just about everything they make, and the quality has just plummeted across the board. I've had juices with tainted flavors because the machine was clearly not thoroughly cleaned between ingredients, MANY bottles also improperly cleaned that had some remaining gunk from the last person, and juices that were obviously not "fresh" that I was still charged full price for. My stomach confirmed this later. I should also mention that buying their bottled kombucha is a great way to burn money- almost all the flavors relatively taste the same, they are often kind of flat, but sometimes explode. In years past their kombucha was a night and day difference in flavor and quality.
TLDR; their products are expensive and no longer worth the price.
Now the customer service at Juice Co. has been a real mixed bag. It's been evident there was some sort of a "girls only" rule for front of house staffing over the years, but maybe they've changed this since. There have been some really sweet and friendly people working the counter that I was frustrated I couldn't tip! There have also been some pretty insufferable personalities that were a punishment to interact with even just for a simple juice. Regardless, my issue is with the product itself.
Juice Co. has a really cool story and I believe it started as a true passion for the art of Kombucha. It then blossomed into a booming business, and really transcended into an iconic part of the local community and the Kauai experience. It just seems maybe the pursuit of "success" got in the way of the vision and the daily quality.
This review will likely make no difference, but I hope it serves as a reminder that, even if the sales don't reflect it, some customers HAVE noticed. There is so little culinary competition on this island so it's common for food establishments to become complacent and apathetic- but maybe this will serve as a kick in the pants!
I will return to purchase some products a few months from now, and I hope I can change this review back to 5 stars.
