California Shakes & Juice Bar has officially opened in Jersey City. With four other locations in the Garden State, this makes the first location in North Jersey. Located at 490 Central Avenue, Cali Shakes brings a combination of shakes, smoothies, bowls, and juices to the ever-growing Heights. Read on to learn more about Cali Shakes.
(Photo credit: @californiafruitshakes)
Bringing Cali to Jersey City
The other locations of Cali Shakes that can be found in NJ include Deptford, Glassboro, Margate City, and Mays Landing. Owned by brother and sister Vasili Galanos and Christina Galanos, respectively, Cali Shakes is a first-generation business, coming from a very tight-knit and close Greek family who grew up in Margate.
Christina, a Rutgers University alum, fell in love with Hoboken and Jersey City while studying for her degree in Dietetics and Nutritional Science. After opening the shops in South Jersey, Christina and Vasili looked up north and knew exactly where they wanted to go.
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“When I was looking around to buy property, I saw this in the Heights and felt so much potential! The foot traffic and closeness to all the main areas of north Jersey put the vision of a successful shop in my head. I thought [it] was the perfect place to bring in fresh juices, shakes and bowls that is unlike any other shake shop [in the area],” Christina tells Hoboken Girl. “It makes me excited to bring Cali Shakes into the community and add some of my passion for health and nutrition into a place that I loved going back when I was in college.”
^ Cali Shakes’ new location is located at 490 Central Ave, Jersey City.
(Photo credit: @californiafruitshakes)
About the Menu
The co-owner shares what sets Cali Shakes apart from the similar restaurants in the area. “What makes us so unique than other shake and smoothie shops is we have a beautiful juice bar case where all the products going into your drinks are right in front of you. No gimmicks, no add-ins,” Christina says.
“We have many options and alternatives to stay as healthy as possible. We also have options if you are feeling a little bit of a cheat day too. But what really makes us stand out [is that] people can come in and literally get exactly what they were in the mood for.”
Customers can create their own combinations of bowls, shakes, smoothies, and juices, or choose from the menu. All items are made with the freshest ingredients.
Some shakes on the menu include Green Monster (spinach, kale, banana, pineapple, and coconut Milk), Ambrosia (mango, banana, peaches, pineapple, and vanilla yogurt), Nutty Monkey Espresso (vanilla frozen yogurt, PB fit peanut powder, banana, choice of milk, and whipped cream), and the Oreo Crunch (vanilla ice cream, cookies, and milk).
(Photo credit: @californiafruitshakes)
The bowls to choose from consist of acai bowls, pitaya bowls, green graviola bowls, cacao and oat bowls, and fresh parfait bowls. In addition, there are a variety of juices to choose from including Body Shield (wheatgrass, ginger, orange, and carrot), Royal Flush (apple, ginger, pineapple, orange, and spinach), and the Hangover Cure (carrot, celery, beets, ginger, and orange) — perfect for the weekend. Cali Shakes also has a variety of hot and cold coffee drinks to choose from. The options are endless.
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Check Out Cali
Cali Shakes celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, October 9th. The shop is open from 8AM to 6PM daily and is available for pick up through its website and delivery via Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
(Photo credit: @californiafruitshakes)
Fans can also check out Cali Shakes mobile food truck as it travels around NJ. The schedule can be found via the website and on social media. Coming soon, Cali Shakes will be hosting in-store events. Be on the lookout.
For more information, visit Cali Shakes website, found here, and be sure to follow the shakes’ Instagram page, found here.
