This week we are excited to introduce you to Mary Hargrove of Clean Juice East Lansing!
After being a stay at home mom for over fourteen years, this mom of 2 is taking on a brand new adventure. Mary is the proud owner of Clean Juice East Lansing. Have you heard of Clean Juice?
Mary and her family made a stop at a Clean Juice while visiting Ohio and she fell in love with the product! She believed the East Lansing area needed more healthy & organic options. Although the pandemic slowed the opening process, her husband, friends and family have supported her every step of the way.
GLAMoms is happy to share – Clean Juice East Lansing is now OPEN and just celebrated their Grand Opening this past weekend! It is located directly across from the campus of Michigan State and the only organic juicery and eatery in town.
Mary is now balancing family life with work life, but leaning on her “village” has made this new journey a success. Stop in and say hi – and be sure to check out the GO GREEN selfie wall 🙂
Welcome to Greater Lansing Area Moms, Mary!
Hi Mary! Please introduce yourself –
Hello everyone! I am Mary Hargrove, owner of Clean Juice East Lansing. I am so excited to bring a healthy, organic juice bar and eatery to EL! I have a wonderful husband, Todd and two amazing boys, Collin and Matt. Come see us, we can’t wait to serve you!
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
I am originally from Holland, MI and now my family and I live in East Lansing.
You’re a mom! How many kids do you have and what are their ages? What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
I have two boys. Collin is 14 and Matthew is 12. I love being a mom to these two guys. I feel very blessed they are mine. My favorite thing about being a mom is that I am raising two very different individuals and seeing them be true to themselves makes me very proud.
What is the best mom advice you’ve ever been given or the best advice you have for new moms?
I think my mom has given me the best advice and always told me to teach them to be kind above all else and anything that is hard “this too shall pass.”
We are big into self-care for moms – as hard as it is to find the time-what is something you do just for yourself?
I have the best friends a girl could ask for. We get together about once a week and decompress together. YOGA! I go to Salt Yoga a few times a week(time allowing) and it is so good for my soul. Toni creates an environment where you get a great workout and also ground yourself to what is important. Also, date nights. Highly recommend dating your spouse. I love my time alone with Todd.
How do you juggle your career with being a mom and wife?
It is very new to me since I was a stay-at-home mom for over 14 years. I have had to lean on my village a lot more. Shout out to the village, you know who you are! Collin and Matt come to the store with me a lot. They were a huge help in setting up the store and getting all the equipment ready for use. They are back in school now and I plan to be at the store while they are at school and still have my evenings and weekends with them.
What are your go-to restaurants and shops in the Greater Lansing area?
We love Soup Spoon, EnVie, lots of sushi places (Mi Sushi, Maru, Sansu), Fiesta Charra, and Bowdies (my personal favorite). We do a lot of our shopping at Playmakers! Ever since the kids were little it has been a family favorite.
Favorite family activities to do in the Greater Lansing area?
You can find us at the UClub pool in the summer followed by a trip to Tasty Twist! We are huge MSU fans so in the fall we go to a lot of the Men’s soccer games and football Saturdays we are tailgating in Jenison Lot. We also love MSU basketball games! We also like to play mini golf at Little Hawk.
You’re a mompreneur! Tell us about Clean Juice East Lansing and what inspired you to open this?
It was not on my radar to start a business at all when it all happened. We were in Ohio for a soccer game for our oldest when we popped into a Clean Juice. When we got back into the car I said to Todd, “I can do this, we can do this.” I emailed Clean Juice on Monday and we started the process. This was in late February 2020 so when Covid hit it slowed everything down but I am thrilled how it all turned out. We think the location is perfect!
What products and services does Clean Juice East Lansing offer, and what sets your juice bar apart from others?
We offer smoothies, protein smoothies, fresh juices, cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, wraps, toasts, greenoa bowls (our take on a salad), acai bowls, and we also have a kids menu for the kiddos to order from. Clean Juice is a certified organic juice bar. If clean living is important to you then we are the right place to visit. We don’t add any sugar to any juices or smoothies. The products listed on the menu are all we add.
What’s the best thing about your job? Most challenging part?
The best thing about my job is that I get to bring really great products I believe in to East Lansing. The most challenging part is getting down the day to day dynamics of running a business and balancing all of that while having a family.
Now some fun ones!
Favorite thing to order at Clean Juice – Greenoa Bowls! These salads will keep you full all afternoon!
Can’t live without beauty or makeup product – Chantecaille Gold Energizing Eye Serum – pricey but it works and lasts forever!!
Current Binge shows – Ted Lasso
Favorite place to visit in Michigan – Anywhere along Lake MI. I am partial to where I grew up in Holland/Saugatuck/Fennville. I love Glen Arbor and Boyne City, too.
Last book you read – The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
Favorite food to indulge on – Charcuterie
Beach or Mountains – Both.
Toilet paper under or over – Over.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?
Make sure you have a strong support system and believe in yourself! YOU CAN DO IT!
Last one! What are you most looking forward to this year and into 2022?
Opening the business and seeing the success it has. Also, in person sporting events and concerts!
Thank you, Mary! It was great to learn more about you and wish you only the best with your new adventure♥
Follow along with Mary and Clean Juice East Lansing-
Facebook @Clean Juice East Lansing
Instagram @cleanjuiceeastlansing
Website @Clean Juice
Do you have someone in mind for our Meet a Mom Monday feature? If so, email [email protected] and we will take it from there 🙂
