Downtown Las Vegas business calls it quits, heads for Boca Park

The Downtown Project lost another one earlier this month.

Grassroots Juice Bar, a once-organic and vegan juice bar, closed its doors on June 10, almost two years after opening as part of the Downtown Project, a $350 million investment overhaul meant to revitalize downtown Las Vegas.

In the beginning, there were high expectations for the businesses and stores to succeed, said Shane Stuart, one of the owners of the former juice bar.

“It just didn’t happen as fast as everyone thought it would,” he said. In the same renovated motel where Grassroots was, a yoga studio, flower shop, doughnut shop and restaurant also opened. Of those, only two remain.

Nichole Hester, co-owner of Grassroots, said the business couldn’t get enough people to walk in through the doors. She said the lack of residential areas hurt the amount of foot traffic the shop was seeing.

“We didn’t have enough people walking by or living downtown,” she said. “We had so many amazing repeat customers. We just needed more business.”

Maria Phelan, director of public relations for the Downtown Project, said the project has funded about 160 business since it began. The number of small businesses that don’t make it is big, but it’s part of the investment.

“While we hope that all of them will become successful, we know that’s not entirely realistic,” Phelan said.

A couple of months before the store closed, Stuart, 38, was looking at expanding his presence in the health and wellness market in Vegas, one that he said is growing.

“People are becoming more open to the idea of these healthy plant meals,” the Las Vegas native said.

He originally planned to open up a store across from Grassroots, but when that was no longer a possibility, he found a space in Boca Park in western Las Vegas, where he said a majority of his customers for the juice bar were coming from.

Panacea, which means “universal remedy” in Greek, will debut in September, as a versatile business that promotes healthy living and eating.

Stuart said once open, Panacea will offer a nightlife bar after 9 p.m. Instead of alcoholic beverages, healthy plant-based drinks will be served by using a ZYTO scan, which reads hand prints and recommends vegetables and fruits based on an individual’s nutritional needs. Customers will also have the option to attend cultural tea ceremonies.

And although losing the juice bar was a setback, Stuart said he’s determined to motivate people to want to eat better through “wild education.”

“I’m very excited. Every part of my ideas and dreams coming together in one space.”

Contact Melissa Gomez at mgomez@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0278. Follow @melissagomez004 on Twitter.