Isa Cruz

Now that the semester is in full swing and everyone is starting to navigate the pressures and difficulties of their upcoming assignments, a nice break from the monotony of studying is well-needed. Here to give you that break is a new face in town: Blake Orchard Juicery.

Blake Orchard Juicery originated as a smoothie and juice shop in downtown Portland. The new shop, located right next to Bay Bowls, opened its Brunswick location this June, taking the place of Edible Arrangements. The owner of the shop, Alexandra Messenger, is originally from Western Massachusetts and moved to Maine in April of 2016 to open her first store.

“I started Blake Orchard ten years ago … selling my cold press juices at farmers markets all throughout Massachusetts for a year and a half,” Messenger said. “I realized that, if I was going to make it work, I really needed a home storefront, a home base [to] do more with my menu.”

Messenger was inspired to start the business due to her experiences with and research on holistic healing and whole foods-based diets. She had many digestive problems in college and was making juices at home to better her health. She was also inspired by the rising popularity of juiceries on the West Coast and Florida.

After visiting Maine for a weekend, she quickly fell in love with the state and started her business within a few months of living here.

The opening of the Brunswick location was inspired by suggestions from various customers. The location on Maine Street was important to Messenger due to its proximity to the College and its accessibility to people walking or driving by.

“I’ve met with a lot of the business owners [on Maine Street],” Messenger said. “I feel like we fit in pretty well.”

Regarding long-term plans beyond Brunswick, she hopes to expand the number of locations. She also wants to develop relationships with other businesses on Maine Street, increase the juicery’s integration with the community and make acquaintances with Brunswick residents.

According to Messenger, the location was built with Bowdoin students in mind. There are many outlets and seats in the space to provide an alternative study space for students.

Students have slowly but surely been visiting the shop and sampling its products. The juicery’s close proximity to Bay Bowls has left some wondering about the dynamic between the two shops and how customers, including Bowdoin students, might perceive the competition.

“Bay Bowls is great, but the one thing which bothered me is the prices were really expensive in relation to the portion size you got,” Jaran Depew ’27 said. “I hope that the new place brings some good competition between the two, though I do believe both places are great and have delicious smoothies.”

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Bay Bowls, an enthusiast of the sit-down atmosphere of Blake Orchard or have no smoothie allegiances, this new face is bringing a different taste to Maine Street.