Pamela Olvera’s been a mom, a paralegal, a chef, a gardener and now the owner of her own juice café in Point Loma. What will the owner of Northside Shack, at 1255 N. Rosecrans St., do for an encore? “There’s a couple of tricks up my sleeve,” said Olvera when asked if franchising is in her future. The 42-year-old entrepreneur and lifelong foodie said she’s been contemplating opening her own business for 20 years. She finally did it in May of last year after working for a couple of years on her business plan. “I’m totally different from most of the juice bars,” said Olvera. “I’m the only farm-to-table juice bar in town.” Northside Shack features a lot of chef’s specials and custom drinks. “I have a build-your-own bar,” said Olvera. “You choose up to five items to create your very own blends.” Olvera said her vegetable and fruit blends are unique. “We don’t use any emulsifiers or additional sugars,” she said. “We don’t load up with ice. I put together something, and almost everybody walking out the door is a happy camper.” Her competitively priced concoctions are as distinctive as her business model. “Some of the combinations you won’t find anywhere else, like roasted sweet potato in a breakfast blend,” Olvera said. “I use coconut and almond milk. No soy. No dairy. Just total goodness.” One other novelty at Northside is that the café has Kombucha, a fermented tea drink purported to have health benefits, on tap. “It’s got a lot of very good organisms and bacteria that help promote a healthy gut, stimulates energy and just kind of cleans your system,” said Olvera. Northside does soups on Wednesdays. The juice bar also is known for its chicken salads, which Olvera warns, “run out quickly.” Olvera is a huge proponent of “healthy eating.” “It’s always been a mission of mine to try and bring healthy eating to underprivileged neighborhoods, food deserts,” she said, adding she grew up in “hardcore” neighborhoods in South Bay that didn’t have access to “good foods.” Olvera was a paralegal for 10 years. After her three children were mostly grown, she chucked her legal job to go to culinary school to retrain and become a chef. It’s a work experience that’s served her well as a food retailer. Northside is located in a corner strip mall next to a dry cleaner that Olvera noted is convenient and close to her clientele. “It’s a community juice bar,” she said. “I get people in here from every walk of life, vacationers because of the (nearby) hotels, and the military. I believe you tap into your community, your people, and you create a hub. That’s the best way to market your business.” The business is also completely family run and maintained with Olvera, her mom, her best friend and her children helping out when needed. “I’ve been here nonstop the last eight months,” noted Olvera. Northside Shack is open Mondays through Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, call (619) 715-1869 or visit northsideshack.com.