Matthew Sherman is a man with a mission: making South Florida a little healthier one cold-pressed juice at a time.
He’s the founder and CEO of the ever-growing Jugofresh franchise known for its freshly made organic juices, loaded açaí bowls, flax seed Twinkies, and raw oatmeal.
Before the WeWork Lincoln Road member opened his first outpost in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood back in 2012, he already had a taste for clean, fresh food. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, master’s in sports and exercise psychology from Barry University, and certification as a holistic and nutrition coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Matthew is no slouch when it comes to knowing good health.
But this wasn’t always the case for the wellness guru. Before there were cold-pressed juices, there were canned fruits and sodium-heavy veggies. After years of consuming processed foods, Sherman knew it was time for a change. So he embarked in the juice journey to help heal his own body—Jugofresh just happened to come along in the process.
Having started the organic juice and health shop in his very own kitchen, he was too busy nursing himself to better health to give much thought to turning this juice thing into a real profession.
“It started from my kitchen with no intention to be a business, [but] people in our community connected right away with our story and saw the love and integrity we were pouring into the product,” says Sherman.
Today, Jugofresh has expanded to many South Florida neighborhoods including Wynwood, South Pointe, Coral Gables, and North Miami, along with also being inside several Whole Foods stores.
Originally noted for its cold-pressed juices, the local health chain has since added a variety of raw and organic treats. Take the Twinkies, for example. Just when you thought you’d never devour this iconic sweet without feeling guilty about it, Sherman and his team made them healthy with hemp, hazelnut, flax seed, and coconut oil.
But the real deal is this: the Alkaline Gangster juice and Brazil Nut Crumbles. One packed with spinach and ginger and the other with dates and raw honey, this lovely pair should always be enjoyed together, says Sherman.
“The combo of the alkalinity in the Gangster and perfect proteins in brazil nuts creates one of the world’s greatest snacks,” Sherman explains.
Can’t argue with that.
While Jugofresh is already booming, there’s more room to grow, and Sherman has plenty of ideas in store.
“We are going to diversify what we do and start to have full kitchen experiences,” he says. “And [we] will continue to grow with Whole Foods. Look out for us in new markets.”
You should also look out for Sherman the next time you’re carpooling with Uber. (He’s a big fan of the car-sharing program, being a self-proclaimed “terrible driver” and all.) You might just grab a seat next to him on his way to one of his juice bars.
Photo credit: Jugofresh